— circumscribable , adj. — circumscriber , n.
/serr"keuhm skruyb', serr'keuhm skruyb"/ , v.t., circumscribed, circumscribing .
1. to draw a line around; encircle: to circumscribe a city on a map.
2. to enclose within bounds; limit or confine, esp. narrowly: Her social activities are circumscribed by school regulations.
3. to mark off; define; delimit: to circumscribe the area of a science.
4. Geom.
a. to draw (a figure) around another figure so as to touch as many points as possible.
b. (of a figure) to enclose (another figure) in this manner.
[ 1350-1400; ME circumscribere, equiv. to circum- CIRCUM- + scribere to write ]
Syn. 2. restrict, restrain, check, hamper, hinder.