INDEX:
1. around someone or something
2. to be surrounded by something
3. to move into a position around someone or something
4. moving in a circle or moving around something
RELATED WORDS
to turn around : ↑ TURN
shaped like a ball or circle : ↑ ROUND
see also
↑ CIRCLE
◆◆◆
1. around someone or something
▷ around also round British /əˈraʊnd, raʊnd/ [preposition/adverb]
completely surrounding or enclosing someone or something :
▪ A group of students sat around the table chatting.
▪ She was wearing a silver chain round her neck.
▪ On the kitchen table was a package with tape wrapped around it.
all around/all round
▪ Enemy soldiers were now all around us.
▪ At the bottom of the hill was a small pond with trees all round.
▷ on all sides/on every side /ɒn ˌɔːl ˈsaɪdz, ɒn ˌevri ˈsaɪd/ [adverb]
if something is around you on all sides or on every side, you see it everywhere and you may feel that you are unable to move or escape because of it :
▪ Mountains rose steeply on all sides.
from all sides
▪ There was the sound of gunfire from all sides.
2. to be surrounded by something
▷ be surrounded by /biː səˈraʊndə̇d baɪ/ [verb phrase]
if someone or something is surrounded by people or things, those people or things are around them on every side :
▪ The tops of the hills were surrounded by clouds.
▪ Jill sat on the floor surrounded by boxes.
▷ be ringed by /biː ˈrɪŋd baɪ/ [verb phrase]
if something is ringed by things, those things form a circle around it :
▪ Hoover Dam is ringed by snow-capped mountains that reach high above the desert plain.
▪ Fifteen minutes after the explosion, the embassy was ringed by police officers and armed guards.
▷ be framed by /biː ˈfreɪmd baɪ/ [verb phrase]
if something that you are looking at is framed by something, you see it within the borders of that thing :
▪ I could see the church tower framed by the windows.
▪ Her small face was framed by a mass of red hair
▷ enclose /ɪnˈkləʊz/ [transitive verb usually in passive]
to form a wall or covering around something that keeps it separate from everything outside it :
▪ The fence enclosing the prison compound is constantly patrolled by armed guards.
be enclosed by something
▪ The garden was completely enclosed by a high wall.
▪ The fish live in a shallow tropical lagoon, which is enclosed by a coral reef.
be enclosed in something
▪ Jerry had to spend two months enclosed in a huge plastic bubble, to prevent him from catching germs from other children.
3. to move into a position around someone or something
▷ surround /səˈraʊnd/ [transitive verb]
to stand in a circle around someone or something, especially to prevent someone escaping :
▪ Football fans ran onto the field and surrounded the referee.
▪ Police officers moved to surround Evans as he came out of the courtroom.
▷ gather around also gather round /ˌgæðər əˈraʊnd, ˌgæðəʳ ˈraʊnd/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
if a group of people gathers around someone or something, they move nearer to them, for example in order to see or hear better :
▪ A crowd of young boys had gathered round to admire the car.
gather around somebody/something
▪ After supper we gathered around the kitchen table and listened to Grandma tell stories about her childhood.
▷ encircle /ɪnˈsɜːʳk ə l/ [transitive verb]
if a group of people encircle someone or something, they move so that they are completely around them, making it impossible for them to escape :
▪ Troops encircled the city and began firing rockets at the government buildings.
▪ The photo showed the captive sitting down, encircled by several armed men.
▷ crowd around also crowd round British /ˌkraʊd əˈraʊnd, ˌkraʊd ˈraʊnd/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
if a group of people crowds around someone or something, they stand near them closely together, often pushing forward to see what is happening :
▪ Fire officers asked the people who had crowded round to stand back.
crowd around somebody/something
▪ Dozens of journalists crowded around the Princess and started asking her questions.
4. moving in a circle or moving around something
▷ around also round British /əˈraʊnd, raʊnd/ [adverb/preposition]
use this after verbs of movement, to show that someone or something is moving in a circle or moving around something :
go/fly/travel/run etc around
▪ The Earth goes around the Sun.
▪ The helicopter flew round and round above us.
▷ in circles /ɪn ˈsɜːʳk ə lz/ [adverb]
if someone or something moves in circles, they move around in a circle several times :
▪ Birds flew in circles above the lake.
▪ As the dog got more and more excited, it started running around in circles.
▷ circle /ˈsɜːʳk ə l/ [intransitive/transitive verb] especially written
to move around someone or something in a circle :
▪ The plane circled the airport several times before landing.
circle around/above
▪ As we walked along the beach, I could see seagulls circling above the cliffs.
▷ orbit /ˈɔːʳbɪt, ˈɔːʳbət/ [transitive verb]
to go around the Earth, the Moon, the Sun etc in a continuous circular movement :
▪ The satellite will orbit the Earth for the next 15 years.
▪ The team confirmed the discovery of a planet orbiting the star 51 Pegasi.