ENCLOSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does enclose mean? 

• ENCLOSE (verb)
  The verb ENCLOSE has 4 senses:

1. enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering

2. close in

3. surround completely

4. place, fit, or thrust (something) into another thing

  Familiarity information: ENCLOSE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ENCLOSE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they enclose    ... he / she / it encloses   
Past simple: enclosed   
Past participle: enclosed   
-ing form: enclosing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

enclose; enfold; envelop; enwrap; wrap

Context example:

Fog enveloped the house

Hypernyms (to "enclose" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "enclose"):

capsulate; capsule; capsulise; capsulize (enclose in a capsule)

cover; enshroud; hide; shroud (cover as if with a shroud)

bathe (suffuse or envelope with something)

cocoon (wrap in or as if in a cocoon, as for protection)

sheathe (enclose with a sheath)

engulf (flow over or cover completely)

tube (place or enclose in a tube)

benight (envelop with social, intellectual, or moral darkness)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

enclosing; enclosure (the act of enclosing something inside something else)

enclosure (a structure consisting of an area that has been enclosed for some purpose)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Close in

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

confine; enclose; hold in

Context example:

darkness enclosed him

Hypernyms (to "enclose" is one way to...):

bear; carry; contain; hold (contain or hold; have within)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "enclose"):

border; bound (form the boundary of; be contiguous to)

embank (enclose with banks, as for support or protection)

rail; rail in (enclose with rails)

box in; box up (enclose or confine as if in a box)

frame (enclose in a frame, as of a picture)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

enclosure (a structure consisting of an area that has been enclosed for some purpose)

enclosure (a naturally enclosed space)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Surround completely

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

close in; enclose; inclose; shut in

Context example:

They closed in the porch with a fence

Hypernyms (to "enclose" is one way to...):

border; environ; ring; skirt; surround (extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "enclose"):

insert; tuck (fit snugly into)

hedge; hedge in (enclose or bound in with or as it with a hedge or hedges)

fort; fortify (enclose by or as if by a fortification)

corral (enclose in a corral)

casket (enclose in a casket)

cordon off; rope in; rope off (divide by means of a rope)

fence; fence in (enclose with a fence)

encapsulate (enclose in a capsule or other small container)

dike; dyke (enclose with a dike)

bank (enclose with a bank)

glass; glass in (enclose with glass)

border; frame; frame in (enclose in or as if in a frame)

bury; eat up; immerse; swallow; swallow up (enclose or envelop completely, as if by swallowing)

case; encase; incase (enclose in, or as if in, a case)

enshrine; shrine (enclose in a shrine)

bower; embower (enclose in a bower)

wall in; wall up (enclose with a wall)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

enclosure (the act of enclosing something inside something else)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Place, fit, or thrust (something) into another thing

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

enclose; inclose; insert; introduce; put in; stick in

Context example:

Insert your ticket here

Hypernyms (to "enclose" is one way to...):

lay; place; pose; position; put; set (put into a certain place or abstract location)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "enclose"):

plug (insert a plug into)

plug (insert as a plug)

inject; shoot (force or drive (a fluid or gas) into by piercing)

foist (insert surreptitiously or without warrant)

slip (insert inconspicuously or quickly or quietly)

feed; feed in (introduce continuously)

interlard; intersperse (introduce one's writing or speech with certain expressions)

cup (put into a cup)

catheterise; catheterize (insert a catheter into (a body part))

glass (put in a glass container)

inset (set or place in)

inoculate (introduce a microorganism into)

plug (replace the center of a coin with a baser metal)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

enclosure (something (usually a supporting document) that is enclosed in an envelope with a covering letter)

 Context examples 

A solid or liquid core composed of active and/or inert ingredient(s) enclosed by a polymer coated shell.

(Extended Release Core Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A sterilization process that uses ethylene oxide gas enclosed within a sealed bag to kill microorganisms.

(Ethylene Oxide-in-a-Bag Sterilization, NCI Thesaurus)

The process or condition of being enclosed.

(Encapsulation, NCI Thesaurus)

Any structures that are not enclosed intracellularly are considered extracellular structure, including structures on the cell surface.

(Extracellular Structure, NCI Thesaurus)

An enclosed chamber designed to produce heat.

(Furnace Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

The part of the inner mitochondrial membrane that folds inward to enclose the cristae.

(Membrane of Crista, NCI Thesaurus)

The portion of the hair that is enclosed within the hair follicle.

(Hair Root, NCI Thesaurus)

A switch device consisting of thin, flexible, magnetically controlled contacts enclosed in a sealed and evacuated enclosure.

(Electrically Open Reed Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

A pump system with two enclosed reservoirs, designed to deliver various concentrations of intravenous contrast media.

(Dual Chamber Power Injector, NCI Thesaurus)

The backbone encloses the spinal cord and the fluid surrounding the spinal cord.

(Backbone, NCI Dictionary)