Encompassing

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Encompass \En*com"pass\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Encompassed}; p.
     pr. & vb. n. {Encompassing}.]
     To circumscribe or go round so as to surround closely; to
     encircle; to inclose; to environ; as, a ring encompasses the
     finger; an army encompasses a city; a voyage encompassing the
     world. --Shak.


     [1913 Webster]
  
           A question may be encompassed with difficulty. --C. J.
                                                    Smith.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           The love of all thy sons encompass thee. --Tennyson.
  
     Syn: To encircle; inclose; surround; include; environ;
          invest; hem in; shut up.
          [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  encompassing \encompassing\ adj.
     closely enveloping or surrounding on all sides.
  
     Syn: ambient, enveloping, surrounding(prenominal).
          [WordNet 1.5]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  encompassing
       adj 1: broad in scope or content; "across-the-board pay increases";
              "an all-embracing definition"; "blanket sanctions
              against human-rights violators"; "an invention with
              broad applications"; "a panoptic study of Soviet
              nationality"- T.G.Winner; "granted him wide powers"
              [syn: {across-the-board}, {all-embracing}, {all-encompassing},
               {all-inclusive}, {blanket(a)}, {broad}, {panoptic}, {wide}]
       2: closely encircling; "encompassing mountain ranges"; "the
          surrounding countryside" [syn: {encompassing(a)}, {surrounding(a)}]