enfold
Americanverb (used with object)
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to wrap up; envelop.
to enfold someone in a cloak.
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to surround as if with folds.
He wished to enfold her in the warmth of his love. What happened is enfolded in mystery.
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to hug or clasp; embrace.
She enfolded him in her arms.
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to form into a fold or folds.
The material of the skirt had been enfolded to form a loose, graceful drape.
verb
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to cover by enclosing
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to embrace
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to form with or as with folds
Other Word Forms
- enfolder noun
- enfoldment noun
Etymology
Origin of enfold
Explanation
To enfold is to wrap, envelop, or surround. You might enfold a baby in a blanket, or enfold a puppy in your arms. When you enfold something, you either wrap it in a cloth or covering, or you mimic this action literally — with your arms — or figuratively. You could say, for example, that as you walk home at sunset, the night begins to enfold your neighborhood. Or you can say that you love when your grandma enfolds you in a hug. The verb enfold combines the prefix en-, "make or put in" with fold.
Vocabulary lists containing enfold
Vocabulary from Readings 3, Unit 1
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Vocabulary from Readings 1, Unit 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Little did I know this decision would nearly get me arrested, set me on a path across two coasts, instigate community programming, and enfold kindred spirits near and far.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2023
When you see the power of love and people reaching out from their own pain, how that can really surround you and enfold you and help you.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2023
Dark wallpaper and dimly glittering chandeliers enfold the room’s tiered seats, erasing any divide between viewer and stage.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2018
She leads a flexible ensemble of fellow South African musicians, playing original tunes that flock and enfold around open-ended harmonic patterns, pushing deep into a haze.
From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2018
Coraline was too close to stop, and she felt the other mother’s cold arms enfold her.
From "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
