surround

sur|round¹ W2 [səˈraund] v [T]

[Date: 1400-1500; : Old French; Origin: suronder 'to overflow, flood', from Late Latin superundare, from Latin unda 'wave']

1.) [usually passive]

to be all around someone or something on every side

be surrounded by sth

▪ The field was surrounded by trees.

▪ He glared at the people who surrounded the tent.

2.) be surrounded by sb/sth

to have a lot of a particular type of people or things near you

▪ 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.

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.

5.) surround yourself with sb/sth

to choose to have certain people or things near you all the time

▪ The designer surrounded himself with exquisite objects.

surround ²

surround² n

an area around the edge of something, especially one that is decorated or made of a different material

▪ a solid mahogany fire surround