I. səˈrau̇nd verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English surrounden to overflow, modification (influenced by rounden to round) of Middle French suronder, souronder, from Late Latin superundare, from Latin super- + undare to rise in waves, from unda wave — more at round , water
transitive verb
1. obsolete : to flow over the banks of : flood , inundate , overflow , submerge
2.
[influenced in meaning by round (VI) ]
: to be situated or found around, about, or in a ring around: as
a. : to throng, press, or cluster around
the crowd surrounded the victor
b. : to live around on all or most sides
clearly distinct from the more negroid people who surround them — C.D.Forde
c. : to form or be in the retinue, entourage, or court of
flatterers who surround the duke
d. : to be present around, about, or near in the character of an attribute, characteristic, or natural or accustomed motif
we sit surrounded by objects which perpetually express the oddity of our own temperaments — Virginia Woolf
e. : to constitute part of the determining environment or accustomed condition of : environ
the snow and ice which surround the earth's polar regions — J.G.Vaeth
f. : to form a ring around : extend around or about the edge of : constitute a curving or circular boundary for : lie adjacent to all around or in most directions : encircle
woodland patches surround the village — American Guide Series: Vermont
house surrounded on three sides by a wide veranda — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
g.
(1) : to envelop in or as if in a cloud or mist
a fog surrounds the ship
complete secrecy surrounded the meeting — Current History
the silence that surrounded them — Walter O'Meara
(2) : to encase or cover like pulp around a core
a hard black shell surrounded by a pulpy, fibrous covering — Tom Marvel
h. : to occur or be next, near, adjacent to, or before and after in a sequence or order
the years that surrounded the American Revolution
3. : to cause to be encompassed, encircled, or enclosed with something
surrounded himself with outstanding men — Phoenix Flame
sought to surround the international liquor traffic with serious restrictions — D.W.McConnell
4.
a. obsolete : circumnavigate
b. chiefly Midland : to pass or walk around
5. : to enclose (as a city or a body of troops) so as to cut off communication or retreat : invest
intransitive verb
obsolete : to overflow the banks — used of a body of water
Synonyms:
environ , encircle , circle , ring , encompass , compass , gird , girdle , hem : surround is a general term not especially rich in connotation and often interchangeable with the following in situations indicating a being all around rather than a having gone all around, a traversing on a circular course
the noisy, slovenly, argumentative militiamen who had surrounded Boston — Kenneth Roberts
the unseen power which surrounds us — W.R.Inge
environ is likely to suggest lasting situation around, as though enclosing, and forming part of an environment
the passions and motives of the savage world which underlies as well as environs civilization — W.D.Howells
encircle may stress the idea of a circle, either a circle described by a route, march, or voyage or one enclosing something with or as if with something tangible, material, and lasting
the close which encircles the venerable cathedral — T.B.Macaulay
faster planes now encircle the world in a few hours
circle means and connotes about the same things as encircle; the latter may more strongly suggest completeness or perfect roundness of the figure described
his eyes were darkly circled — Booth Tarkington
the Vernon House … is circled with two rows of windows — American Guide Series: Rhode Island
ring is a close synonym, sometimes more vivid, for circle; it is not, however, generally used to indicate a traversing or course
a septuagenarian whose few sad last grey hairs, ringing an otherwise completely bald head — Irish Digest
encompass suggests an encircling which includes, discourages entrance or exit, or ensheathes and envelops
the strong fortress-walls which had long encompassed him — Charles Dickens
whenever he moved beyond the walls … the drawn swords and cuirasses of his trusty bodyguard encompassed him thick — T.B.Macaulay
nature was a presence which encompassed him widely — R.L.Cook
compass often suggests an enclosing which covers and protects or which envelops and weighs down
we must be humble, for we are compassed by mysteries — W.R.Inge
gird may indicate an encircling of or as if of the waist of a person, especially with whatever arms, strengthens, or encourages
Christian religious energy girded its loins with the cords of Francis and Dominic — H.O.Taylor
girdle may suggest any encirclement like that of a belt, sash, or zone
the great coastal plain which girdles the United States — Forrest Morgan
hem , in this sense, is likely to suggest an encirclement that confines and prevents or makes difficult escape, exit, or activity
the constables were hemmed in so closely that they could make no use of their pikes — T.B.Costain
the rocky walls which, with the deep-flowing river, hemmed Matadi in on all sides — Tom Marvel
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : a method of hunting wild animals (as the buffalo or the vicuña) by surrounding a herd and driving the animals into a circle, a ravine, or other place from which they cannot escape
b. : the action of hunting by this method
c. : the area encompassed by hunters using this method
2. : something that surrounds: as
a. chiefly Britain : something (as a border or edging) surrounding or nearly surrounding a central object or area
the brass surround of the electric bell — Elizabeth Bowen
took tea out on the paved surround of the swimming pool — G.A.Wagner
the surround of low brown hills — Louis Allen
a fireplace surround
b. : the area of illumination surrounding a test object on a motion picture or television screen
the surround should be about of equal brightness with the test field — R.S.Woodworth