Embosom

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To hold someone or something closely in the arms or bosom ; to surround or enclose something protectively or intimately
2. To embrace or cherish closely as if in the bosom ; to envelop something with protective or warm care
3. To clasp or contain someone dearly in one's embrace ; to encircle or enfold something in a sheltering manner

Etymology: "Embosom" is a compound built from the prefix "em-" and the noun "bosom," so its history is largely the history of its two parts. The noun "bosom" is the older element, an Old English word for the breast or chest, and it came to mean the place where a person holds or keeps something close. The prefix "em-" is a variant of "en-," which carries the sense of putting something into or onto a thing, so "embosom" literally means to place something into the bosom. The prefix has a long lineage. It traces back through Latin "in-" and earlier Proto-Italic forms, and it entered English through Old French "en-," which is why the same prefix shows up in many English verbs such as "enclose" and "enrich." Middle English speakers used the "en-" and "em-" forms interchangeably, and "em-" was kept before "b" and "p" sounds, which is why "embosom" uses it rather than "en-."

Synonyms: embrace, enfold, hug

Antonyms: reject, release, exclude