environ

Meaning

Verb

1. To encircle or surround (someone or something).
2. (obsolete) To encircle or surround (someone or something).
3. To encircle or surround (someone or something).
4. To cover, enclose, or envelop (someone or something).
5. Followed by from: to hide or shield (someone or something).
6. Of a person: to be positioned or stationed around (someone or something) to attend to or protect them.
7. Of a situation or state of affairs, especially danger or trouble: to happen to and affect (someone or something).
8. (obsolete) To amount to or encompass (a space).
9. (obsolete) To travel completely around (a place or thing); to circumnavigate.

Adv

1. (obsolete) In the neighbourhood; around.
2. (obsolete) Almost, nearly.

Noun

A surrounding area or place (especially of an urban settlement); an environment.

Synonyms

surround

encompass

surroundings

skirt

ring

💍

invest

beset

encircle

enclose

gird

border

round

vest

wrap

indue

shut in

begird

environment

beleaguer

besiege

circumference

circumvent

compass

🧭

endue

enfold

environs

enwrap

perimeter

Translations

circondare

περικυκλώνω

umgeben

entourer

kuşatmak

etraf

rodear

muhit

attorniare

περιβάλλω

cercar

circundar

rodear

etrafını çevirmek

تماجن

Hyphenated as

en‧vir‧on

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪnˈvaɪɹən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: envirounen

Cognate with French: environner

Cognate with Catalan: environar

Cognate with Old French: avironer

Cognate with Middle French: avironer

Cognate with Anglo-Norman: avironer

Cognate with Spanish: environar

Inherited from Middle English: invyroun

Inherited from Middle English: enuyroun

Cognate with French: environ

In summary

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)