surround
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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something that surrounds, as the area, border, etc., around an object or central space.
a tile surround for the shower stall.
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environment or setting.
The designer created a Persian surround for the new restaurant.
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Hunting.
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a means of hunting in which wild animals are encircled and chased into a special spot that makes their escape impossible.
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the act of hunting by this means.
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the location encircled by hunters using this means.
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verb
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to encircle or enclose or cause to be encircled or enclosed
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to deploy forces on all sides of (a place or military formation), so preventing access or retreat
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to exist around
I dislike the people who surround her
noun
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a border, esp the area of uncovered floor between the walls of a room and the carpet or around an opening or panel
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a method of capturing wild beasts by encircling the area in which they are believed to be
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the area so encircled
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Other Word Forms
- presurround verb (used with object)
- surrounding adjective
Etymology
Origin of surround
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English surounden “to inundate, submerge,” from Anglo-French surounder, Middle French s(o)ronder, from Late Latin superundāre “to overflow,” equivalent to Latin super- super- + undāre “to flood,” derivative of unda “wave” ( undulate ); current spelling by analysis as sur- 1 + round 1 (verb)
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.
AFP was unable to access the location to verify the toll or the circumstances surrounding the incident.
From Barron's
He surrounded himself with advisers and military commanders who kept Iran largely safe from foreign threats.
James chimes in, saying it's his favourite constellation, as the region surrounding it is a part of space where stars are constantly being born.
From BBC
Her frequent appearances are a stark departure from the traditional secrecy surrounding children of the ruling Kim family.
Researchers are encouraged by this because the outward-facing form of MurJ is exposed to the surrounding environment, which could make it more accessible to future drugs than a conformation that faces inward.
From Science Daily
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.
