surround

Definitions

Not what it looks like. It comes from Late Latin superundāre: super- (over, above) + undāre (to overflow). The picture is water rising and spreading on every side until it encloses you. The '-round' ending was reshaped centuries later under the pull of the English word round, which is why it now looks like 'sur-' + 'round.' The original idea — to overflow around — settled into today's meaning: to be all around something.

Why It Means This

Surround hides a flood inside it. Its Latin source superundāre meant water overflowing on every side — the prefix 'sur-' is the same 'super-' (over) you see in surface and surplus, and the buried root is unda, 'wave.' The familiar-looking '-round' is a later folk respelling, not the real origin.

Common Collocations

• 1.surround yourself with让自己置身于……之中
• 2.surround sound环绕立体声
• 3.completely surround将……团团围住
• 4.surrounded by被……包围

Example Sentences

• 1.

  A tall hedge surrounds the garden, keeping it private.

• 2.

  Reporters surrounded the actor the moment she left the building.

• 3.

  Try to surround yourself with people who support your goals.

• 4.

  A lot of mystery surrounds the company's sudden collapse.