v. [f. L. circumvent- ppl. stem of circumvenīre to surround, beset, deceive, f. CIRCUM- round + venīre to come.]
1. trans. To surround or encompass by hostile stratagem, esp. so as to cut off or capture. Now chiefly of hunted animals, etc., in which use it is often taken as a humorous application of sense 2.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 13. The gouernour … so by crafte circumuented him that he toke him priesoner.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 636. The Erle perceyving … that he was circumvented and likely to be trapped wyth the Queenes power.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 157. Being on euery side circumuented and hardly charged, most of them there fell.
1779. Forrest, Voy. New Guinea, 147. Whose husband had lately been circumvented by the Dutch, and sent to the Cape of Good Hope.
1837. W. Irving, Capt. Bonneville (1849), 133. These simple animals were easily circumvented and destroyed.
2. To encompass with evils, with malice, or enmity; to try to entrap in conduct or speech.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 478 b. Being circumvented by the malitious practices of all men almost, he [Luther] was forced to maintayne his cause … with most manifest scriptures.
1595. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 87. Circumvented as I am with so many evils.
1623. Bingham, Xenophon, 36. Circumvented with distresse.
1853. Robertson, Serm., Ser. III. vii. 94. We did not … circumvent Him like the Scribes and lawyers.
3. To get the better of by craft or fraud; to overreach, outwit, cheat, ‘get round,’ ‘take in.’
a. 1564. Becon, New Catech. 8th Commandm. (1844), 104. Suche as in biyinge and sellinge begyle and circumuent their neighbour.
1568. Bible (Bishops’), 2 Cor. ii. 11. Lest we should be circumuented [Vulg. circumveniamur] of circumvented thus by fraud, though joynd With his own could overcome or circumvent the scruples of the Landgrave.
1885. Sir W. V. Field, in Law Times’ Rep., LII. 652/1. I do not charge that the vendor was in any way circumvented.
b. absol.
1585. Abp. Sandys, Serm., Ps. lxxxvi. 11 (1841), 120. Let no man defraude or circumuent.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), I. 38. She had no hand at argument, And so she tried to circumvent.
4. To encompass, enclose (literally).
1824. Dibdin, Libr. Comp., II. 66. The breakers that circumvent those Islands.
1850. ‘Bat,’ Cricketer’s Manual, 81. Nearly circumvented by houses.
5. To go round, make the circuit of.
1840. Hood, Up the Rhine, 235. To circumvent the town by water.
1863. Fr. A. Kemble, Resid. in Georgia, 257. I passed the new house, and again circumvented it.
Hence Circumventing vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 7. For the circumuenting of the Patriarch.
1618. Rowlands, Sacred Memorie, 39. The circumuenting hollow-hearted friend.
1843. J. Martineau, Chr. Life (1867), 337. A sly and circumventing gaze.
