Enclose

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ənˈkloʊz/

Definitions

1. To surround something completely or place it inside a container, wrapper, or boundary
2. To confine an item within a boundary or to surround it entirely with an object or area
3. To form a boundary around an object or area, effectively shutting it in ; to insert or attach something inside a letter, package, or container so it is included with the main item

Etymology: The word "enclose" is a near twin of "include," and the two came from the same Latin verb, "inclūdere," meaning "to shut in." Latin speakers used it for locking things up, and the sense of shutting something away is still visible in the English word. The two English forms split apart over time: "include" was borrowed more directly from the Latin, while "enclose" came through Old French, where the past participle "enclos" was used as a noun and then as a verb, which is why the English word first appeared in Middle English with the spellings "enclosen" and "inclosen." Underneath all of this is the Latin "claudere," "to shut," which also gave English "close," "closet," and "conclude." The prefix "en-" was later attached to the English word "close," so the modern form combines a Latin-derived root with a native English one. Its shape is a little unusual for that reason: one half comes from the Romans, the other half from the English language itself.

Synonyms: surround, contain, encircle

Antonyms: open, release