noun
or in·clo·sure ə̇nˈklōzhə(r), en-
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English enclosure, from Middle French, from Old French, from enclos + -ure
1. : the act or action of enclosing: as
a. : the separation of land from common ground by a fence or barrier
b. : separation (as for fire protection) of one part of a building from others
2. : the quality or state of being encompassed or shut up
books musty and damp from long enclosure
3. : something that encloses (as a barrier)
4.
a. : something enclosed in a package or letter
each envelope contained miscellaneous enclosures
b. : an enclosed or fenced-in area
a ranch and its outlying enclosures
c. : the part of a monastery or convent strictly reserved for the religious of the community to the exclusion of outsiders or of certain outsiders (as those of the opposite sex)
5. : the regulation that establishes and is designed to preserve the enclosure of a monastery or convent
an order with a very strict enclosure