en·close
(ĕn-klōź)
,
also in·close
(ĭn-)
[Middle English enclosen, from Old French enclos past participle of enclore, from Latin inclūdere, to enclose; see include.]
transitive verb: -closed, also -closed, -clos·ing, -clos·ing, -clos·es, -clos·es
- To surround on all sides; close in.
- To fence in so as to prevent common use: enclosed the pasture.
- To contain, especially so as to envelop or shelter: “Every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses its own secret” (Charles Dickens)
- To insert into the same envelope or package: enclose a check with the order.
synonyms:
enclose, cage, coop, fence, hem1pen2wall These verbs mean to surround and confine within a limited area: cattle enclosed in feedlots; was caged in the office all afternoon; was cooped up in a studio apartment; a garden fenced in by shrubbery; a battalion hemmed in by enemy troops; ships penned up in the harbor; prisoners who were walled in.