encircle

American

[en-sur-kuhl] / ɛnˈsɜr kəl /

verb (used with object)

to form a circle around; surround; encompass.

to encircle an enemy.
to make a circling movement around; make the circuit of.

encircle British

/ ɪnˈsɜːkəl /

verb

(tr) to form a circle around; enclose within a circle; surround

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of encircle

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at en- ¹, circle

Explanation

To encircle is to surround, or to make a circle around. On the last night of summer camp, the counselors and campers traditionally encircle the campfire and sing songs. Prisons are encircled by barbed wire fences, and hot, damp pavement encircles most public swimming pools. When you hug your little sister, you encircle her with your arms. If your tomato plants are growing too tall and flopping over, you should encircle them with twine to hold them up. Encircle adds the prefix en-, "make or put in" to circle, from its Latin root circus, or "ring."

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023