surround
/səˈraʊnd
/verb [with object]
1Be all round (someone or something): the hotel is surrounded by its own gardens figurative he loves to surround himself with family and friends...
- There will be no parking at the ground or in surrounding streets.
- They thrive off of human interaction, they love company, they love to talk to people, to socialize, to surround themselves with people.
- Restaurants, bars and hotels could surround the water.
Synonyms
neighbouring, nearby, near, neighbourhood, local;
adjoining, adjacent, bordering, abutting;
encircling, encompassing
rare circumambient, circumjacent
1.1(Of troops, police, etc.) encircle (someone or something) so as to cut off communication or escape: troops surrounded the parliament building...
- The club was literally surrounded by police forces, including mobile armed units of the patrol service Scut.
- The barn on the property was surrounded by police officers drawing their weapons.
- The jet was surrounded by police and commandos but there was no indication of the number of hijackers.
Synonyms
encircle, enclose, encompass, ring, gird, girdle, go around;
fence in, wall in, hedge in, hem in, close in, confine, ring (round), bound, circumscribe, delimit, cut off;
besiege, siege, beset, beleaguer, throng, trap
rare environ, enwreathe
1.2Be associated with: the killings were surrounded by controversy...
- Much hype surrounds the internet's self-publishing phenomenon known as blogging.
- There is more hype surrounding Tokyo than practically any other capital city in the world.
- What about the ‘controversies’ that surround Shakespeare and his works?
noun
1A thing that forms a border or edging around an object: an oak fireplace surround...
- Where the original stove would have been, she has created an inglenook fireplace with an oak surround and alcove storage.
- There are two reception rooms, both of which feature original fireplaces with oak surrounds and tiled insets.
- The room has a picture rail and the original fireplace with a mahogany surround.
Synonyms
border, edging, edge, perimeter, boundary, margin, skirting, skirt, fringe
1.1 (usually surrounds) The area encircling something; surroundings: the beautiful surrounds of Connemara...
- The reception was held in the beautiful surrounds of the Masters Quarters and the announcements were made by Minister O'Donoghue.
- The dark wood surrounds of the reception area and restaurant provide a deeply pleasant atmosphere, allowing you to spend time off the beach but not away from it.
- In the fast-moving confines of a rail carriage it is easy to pass through these areas without noticing the surrounds.
Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense 'overflow'): from Old French souronder, from late Latin superundare, from super- 'over' + undare 'to flow' (from unda 'a wave'); later associated with round. Current senses of the noun date from the late 19th century.
‘Overflow’ was the early meaning of surround. It came via Old French, from late Latin superundare; formed from the elements super- ‘over’ and undare ‘to flow’. The meaning altered under the influence of ‘round’. Military use (‘enclose on all sides so as to cut off’) arose in the mid 17th century. See also water