Forms: 5 sourround, 5–6 suround, 5–7 surund, 6 surrownd, surrunde, 7 sorround, sur-round, surhound, (pa. pple. surround), 6– surround. [a. AF. sur(o)under, OF. soronder, s(o)uronder to overflow (trans. and intr.), fig. to abound, to surpass, also, to dominate, overlook = Pr. sobrondar:—late L. superundāre to overflow (fig.), f. super SUPER- 2 + undāre to rise in waves, f. unda wave.
The modern spelling was established before 1600; association of the word with round (quasi sur- + round) no doubt helped to fix the spelling with rr.]
I. † 1. trans. To overflow, inundate, flood, submerge. Obs.
1444. Rolls of Parlt., V. 109/2. By grete creteyns of water, many Townesand Londes to grete quantite beth sourrounded.
1587. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1537/2. The said pent being surrounded at euerie high water.
1609–10. Act 7 Jas. I., c. 20 § 1. The Sea hath broken in … and hath decayed surrounded and drowned vp much hard Grounde.
1622. Callis, Stat. Sewers (1647), 57. For suffering a Sewer … to be unrepaired, by reason whereof his grounds … were surrounded.
1631. Star Chamber Cases (Camden), 48. One complaining against another for letting downe a sea wall soe that not onely his but diverse other men’s grounds were surrounded.
fig. 1624. Sir J. Davies, Psalm xviii. Wks. (1869), I. 382. When … floods of wickednes did mee surhound.
1628. P. M., Life Sejanus, *51. Seianus saw himselfe surrounded with a storme, in one of the fairest daies of his fortune.
1633. P. Fletcher, Elisa, II. xxii. My heart, surround with grief, is swoln so high.
1634. W. Tirwhyt, trans. Balzac’s Lett., a 3 b. So surunded with the torrent of his Witt.
b. intr. To overflow. Obs. rare.
1572. Huloet, s.v., Nilus doth surrunde, ouerflowe or runne ouer.
1592. Warner, Alb. Eng., VIII. xli. (1612), 197. Streams, if stopt, surrownd.
1598[?]. Marlowe, Ovid’s Elegies, III. v. 86. The waters more abounded: And from the channell all abroad surrounded.
1599. T. M[oufet], Silkwormes, 64. Lest outward moisture innly being got Surrounding, drownes the little infant-flye.
II. 2. To enclose, encompass or beset on all sides; to stand, lie or be situated around; also, to form the entourage of; often pass. const. with or by = to have on all sides or all round.
1616. Bullokar, Eng. Expos., Surround, to compasse round about.
1629. Milton, Hymn Nativ., xi. At last surrounds their sight A Globe of circular light. Ibid. (1653), Ps. vii. 26. Th’ assemblies of each Nation Will surround thee, seeking right.
1700. R. Pearson, Naaman Vind., 87. Thou wilt … when thou awakest, find thy self sur-rounded with Devils and everlasting burnings.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 291. Stupendous precipices which surrounded us.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, III. ii. At my alighting, I was surrounded by a croud of people.
1771. Junius Lett., xlix. (1788), 267. He saw the throne already surrounded by men of virtue and abilities.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, xxxi. The thick woods which surrounded them excluding all view of the country beyond.
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist. (1842), I. iii. 159. This neither suited the inclination of Elizabeth, nor of some among those who surrounded her.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. iii. 246. If the planet Neptune … be surrounded by an atmosphere.
1868. Lockyer, Elem. Astron., Introd. (1870), 1. The earth on which we live is … surrounded by stars on all sides.
b. Said of immaterial things, as conditions.
1639. G. Daniel, Ecclus. ix. 47. Thinke, without defence, Thou art Surround in danger.
1682. Tate, Abs. & Achit., II. 188. A monarch’s crown with fate surrounded lies.
a. 1771. Gray, Amatory Lines, 1. With beauty, with pleasure surrounded.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, ix. Recollect the dangers that surround you.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, x. The dignities which surrounded her exalted rank.
1900. Jrnl. Sch. Geog. (U.S.), April, 126. The social conditions surrounding the individual.
c. Mil. To enclose (a place, or a body of troops) on all sides so as to cut off communication or retreat; to invest.
a. 1649. Winthrop, New Eng. (1853), I. 279. Our men surrounded the swamp, being a mile about, and shot at the Indians.
1799. Sheridan, Pizarro, V. iv. Well! if surrounded, we must perish in the centre of them.
1802. James, Milit. Dict., s.v., A town is said to be surrounded when its principal outlets are blocked up.
3. To go or extend round (an object or body, a room, or the like); to encircle, as a frame, border, etc.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. iii. 57/1. He beareth Gules, a Garbe, Or, with an Adder … his head aloft, and the tail surrounding it.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 410. With sev’nfold Horns mysterious Nile Surrounds the Skirts of Egypt’s fruitful Isle. Ibid. (1700), Pygmalion, 48. An embroider’d Zone surrounds her slender Waste.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 81. A white list … at the bottom of the neck, which it entirely surrounds.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., iv. Large oaken presses, filled with shelves of the same wood, surrounded the room.
1829. in Encycl. Metrop. (1845), VI. 237. A complete frame surrounding the aperture.
1886. C. E. Pascoe, Lond. of To-day, xxv. (ed. 3), 237. The massive tomb of the Duke of Wellington,… with the names of his victories surrounding the base.
† 4. To go or travel around; to make the circuit of, esp. to circumnavigate. Obs.
1638. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (ed. 2), 16. Pharao Necho … incouraged the Phœnicians (then, proud of their Art in Navigation) to surround Afrique.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., XI. vii. Ded. The ship called the Desire, wherein Captain Cavendish surrounded the world.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 375. When I was driven out to Sea … in my Attempt to surround the Island. Ibid. (1727), Syst. Magic, I. iv. (1840), 107. He surrounds the tree fifteen times.
1751. R. Paltock, P. Wilkins (1884), I. 130. Though I had surrounded the whole lake, yet I had not traced the out-bounds of the wood next the rock.
1825. Scott, Talism., iv. As a second time, in surrounding the chapel, they passed the spot on which he kneeled.
5. To cause to be encircled or enclosed with something.
1635. Valentine, Four Sea-Serm., 8. We that inhabite the Islands, which God hath moated about, and surrounded with a girdle of waters.
1653. Milton, Ps. v. 39. As with a shield thou wilt surround Him with thy lasting favour.
1847. C. Brontë, Jane Eyre, xxxv. He surrounded me with his arm, almost as if he loved me.
1848. W. K. Kelly, trans. L. Blanc’s Hist. Ten Y., II. 344. Was it possible that true republicans should ask of their party … to surround itself with all the appearances of fear?
1908. R. Bagot, A. Cuthbert, ii. 9. Those mental and moral barriers with which the average Englishman surrounds himself.
