| Date: | 1400-1500 |
| Language: | Old French |
| Origin: | suronder 'to overflow, flood', from Late Latin superundare, from Latin unda 'wave' |
| |||||||||
sur‧round1 W2
[transitive]
[transitive]1 [usually passive] to be all around someone or something on every side
He glared at the people who surrounded the tent.
He glared at the people who surrounded the tent.2 to have a lot of a particular type of people or things near you :
He's always been surrounded by people who adore him.
be surrounded by somebody/something
He's always been surrounded by people who adore him.3 if police or soldiers surround a place, they arrange themselves in positions all the way around it :
Armed police surrounded a house in the High Street.
Armed police surrounded a house in the High Street.4 to be closely related to a situation or event :
Some of the issues surrounding alcohol abuse are very complex.
Silence and secrecy surround the murder.
Some of the issues surrounding alcohol abuse are very complex.
Silence and secrecy surround the murder.5 to choose to have certain people or things near you all the time :
The designer surrounded himself with exquisite objects.
surround yourself with somebody/something
The designer surrounded himself with exquisite objects.