Word: environ Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English envirounen, enviroun (“to surround in a circle or ring, or on the perimeter; to beset, besiege; to cover, enclose, envelop; to provide a setting or surrounding to; to move in a circle; to move around the perimeter; to go, move, or wander about (a place); to fill or pervade (a place); to run all the way through”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman envirouner [and other forms], Middle French environner, and Old French environner (“to arrange in a circle; to circumnavigate, travel around; to traverse, wander around; to encircle, encompass, surround”) [and other forms] (modern French environner), from environ (adverb) (see etymology 1) + -er (suffix forming verbs). Cognates * Catalan environar (obsolete) * Old French avironer, avironner (Middle French avironer, avironner, Anglo-Norman avironer, aviruner) * Spanish environar (obsolete) Pronunciation: /ɪnˈvaɪɹən/, /ɛn-/, /ɪnˈvaɪ(ə)ɹən/ 1. To encircle or surround (someone or something). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: For now I ſtand as one vpon a rocke, / Inuirond with a wildernes of ſea, / VVho markes the vvaxing tide, grovv vvaue by vvaue, / Expecting euer vvhen ſome enuious ſurge, / VVill in his briniſh bovvels ſvvallow him. Example: Into that foreſt farre they thence him led, / VVhere vvas their dvvelling, in a pleaſant glade, / VVith mountaines rovvnd about enuironed, / And mightie vvoodes, vvhich did the valley ſhade, […] 2. To encircle or surround (someone or something). Labels: obsolete, often, transitive Example: The Erle in good haſte departed thence to Penbroke, whome incontinent Morgan Thomas, by king Edwards commaundement ſo ſtrongly beſieged, and ſo enuironed his Caſtell with a ditche and a trench, that he could not lightly flie or eſcape thence, […] Example: Philopœmen fearinge to be enuironned, and being deſirous to bring his men ſafe home againe, vvho moſt of loue had follovved him: beganne to marche avvay through narrovv buſhy places, him ſelfe being in the rerevvard, and turned oftentimes vpon his enemies, […] 3. To encircle or surround (someone or something). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: Az[ure], an annulet environing a barrulet, betw[een] two bars and in chief a cross patty fitchy or. 4. To cover, enclose, or envelop (someone or something). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: Farre off a hill and mountaine high they ſpide, / VVhoſe top the cloudes enuiron, cloath and hide; […] Example: Thus like a Nun, not like a Princeſſe borne, / Deſcended from the Royall Henries loynes: / Liue I inuironed in a houſe of ſtone, […] 5. Followed by from: to hide or shield (someone or something). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: Lonely her fate was, / Environed from sight / In the house where the gate was / Past finding at night. 6. Of a person: to be positioned or stationed around (someone or something) to attend to or protect them. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: [A]ll of them, upon an aſſociation made in the night, agreed to ſide vvith him, vvith aſſurance of ſafe conduct being gladly admitted unto them, environed he vvas vvith a multitude thronged together of vendible or ſale ſouldiors, […] Example: O moſt high God, who keepeſt all things whether high or low, and environeſt every creature; ſancti†fie and bleſs† theſe Creatures of lime and ſand; Through Chriſt our Lord, Amen. 7. Of a situation or state of affairs, especially danger or trouble: to happen to and affect (someone or something). Labels: figuratively, obsolete, transitive Example: Ay me! what perils do environ / The Man that meddles with cold Iron! Example: [S]he knew not one person to whose protection she could have recourse, from the inexpressible woes that environed her: […] 8. To amount to or encompass (a space). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: Tendaia (vvhich firſt obtained the Philippine title) enuironeth a hundred and ſixtie leagues, from tvvelue to fifteene degrees of latitude: the people Idolatrous, abounding vvith Pepper, Ginger, Gold, and Mynes. 9. To travel completely around (a place or thing); to circumnavigate. Labels: obsolete, transitive