enclose

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering
  2. verb close in; darkness enclosed him"
  3. verb surround completely

Etymology

From Middle English enclosen, inclosen, from Middle English enclos, from Old French enclose, feminine plural past participle of enclore, from Vulgar Latin *inclaudō, *inclaudere, from Latin inclūdō (doublet of include), from in- (“in”) + claudō (“to shut”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂u- (“key, hook, nail”). Equivalent to en- + close.

In classic literature

Synonyms

envelop, enfold, enwrap, wrap

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading