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To form a circle about; to inclose within a circle or ring; to surround; as, to encircle one in the arms; the army encircled the city. Her brows encircled with his serpent rod. Parnell.

A small circle; a ring. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.

A fillet, strap, or any narrow ligament with which a thing is encircled, or fastened, or by which a number of things are tied, bound together, or confined; a fetter. Every one's bands were loosed. Acis xvi 26.

Anything that resembles a belt, or that encircles or crosses like a belt; a strip or stripe; as, a belt of trees; a belt of sand.

Encircled by, or secured with, a belt; as, a belted plaid; girt with a belt, as an honorary distinction; as, a belted knight; a belted earl.

To make fast ( a thing) about or upon something, as by tying; to encircle with something; as, to bind a belt about one; to bind a compress upon a part.

Crowned; having the head encircled as with a diadem. Shak.

To encompass, as by a circle; to surround; to inclose; to encircle. Prior. Pope. Their heads are circled with a short turban. Dampier. So he lies, circled with evil. Coleridge. To circle in, to confine; to hem in; to keep together; as, to circle bodies in. Sir K. Digby.

little circle; esp., an ornament for the person, having the form of a circle; that which encircles, as a ring, a bracelet, or a headband. Her fair locks in circlet be enrolled. Spenser.

That which encircles anything, as a ring or crown. The golden circuit on my head. Shak.

So as to surround or encircle.

To encircle and hold with, or as with, coils. [Obs. or R.] T. Edwards.

To inclose on all sides; to surround; to encircle; to envior; to invest; to besiege; -- used with about, round, around, and round about. With terrors and with clamors compassed round. Milton. Now all the blessings Of a glad cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round.uke xix. 43.

A round, flattish, wooden block, encircled by a rope, or an iron band, and pierced with three holes to receive the lanyard; -- used to extend the shrouds and stays, and for other purposes. Called also deadman's eye. Totten.

ric pulley, an eccentric. -- Eccentric strap, the ring, operating as a journal box, that encircles and receives motion from an eccentric; -- called also eccentric hoop.

To encircle or embrace. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.

To encircle; to encompass; to inclose. Low at his feet a spacious plain is placed, Between the mountain and the stream embraced. Denham.

inclose in a border or rim; to surround with an ornamental casing, as a gem with gold; to encircle; to inclose; to adorn. Enchased with a wanton ivy twine. Spenser. An precious stones, in studs of gold enchased, The shaggy velvet of his buskins graced. Mickle.

To circumscribe or go round so as to surround closely; to encircle; to inclose; to environ; as, a ring encompasses the finger; an army encompasses a city; a voyage encompassing the world. Shak. A question may be encompassed with difficulty. C. J. Smith. The love of all thy sons encompass thee. Tennyson.…

To encircle with a garland, or with garlands. Sir P. Sidney.