encompass

/ɛnˈkʌm.pəs/verb

To form a ring around something; to surround it completely.

Example sentences

“A stone wall encompasses the entire old town.”
“Thick forest encompassed the tiny mountain village.”

The dominant modern use is abstract: a study encompasses several fields, meaning it includes them all. Physical surrounding sounds literary now.

Related words

encounterA meeting with someone or something, often one that was not planned.enchantingTo fill someone with delight and fascination; to charm.encroachTo gradually take over land, rights, or territory that belongs to someone else.enchantTo charm and delight someone, capturing their interest completely.encryptionThe scrambling of information so that it can only be read by someone with the right key or password.enamoredTo fill someone with love or great fondness; usually used in the passive with "of" or "with".