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be 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.

The act of surrounding, or the state of being surrounded; circumvention. By this encompassment and drift of question. Shak.

Encompassing on all sides; circumfused; investing. "Ambient air." Milton. "Ambient clouds." Pope.

In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. "This fair tree amidst the garden." "Unseen amid the throng." "Amidst thick clouds." Milton. "Amidst acclamations." "Amidst the splendor and festivity of a court." Macaulay. But rather famish them amid their plenty. Shak.

On all sides of; encircling; encompassing; so as to make the circuit of; about. A lambent flame arose, which gently spread Around his brows. Dryden.

To surround as with a band; to encompass.

To encompass; to begird. Milton.

To encircle with, or as with, a belt; to encompass; to surround. A coarse black robe belted round the waist. C. Reade. They belt him round with hearts undaunted. Wordsworth.

The rim which encompasses and fastens a jewel or other object, as the crystal of a watch, in the cavity in which it is set.

That which encompasses or incloses; an inclosure. "Within the cincture of one wall." Bacon.

To make a circle around; to encompass. [Obs.] Bailey.

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.

The act of surrounding or encompassing. Sir T. Browne.

Surrounding; inclosing or being on all sides; encompassing. "The circumambient heaven." J. Armstrong.

The line that goes round or encompasses a circular figure; a periphery. Millon.

Pertaining to the circumference; encompassing; encircling; circuitous. Parkhurst.

To encompass with a wall. Shak.

To embrace, hence; to encompass. O . . . that Neptune's arms, who clippeth thee about, Would bear thee from the knowledge of thyself. Shak.

To come or gather around; to inclose; to encompass; to confine. The depth closed me round about. Jonah ii. 5. But now thou dost thyself immure and close In some one corner of a feeble heart. Herbert. A closed sea, a sea within the jurisdiction of some particular nation, which controls its navigation.…

Encompassed with a coma, or bushy appearance, like hair; hairy.