surrounding

surrounding
    adj 1: closely encircling; "encompassing mountain ranges"; "the
           surrounding countryside" [syn: {encompassing(a)},
           {surrounding(a)}, {circumferent}]
    

Surround \Sur*round"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Surrounded}; p. pr.
   & vb. n. {Surrounding}.] [OF. suronder to overflow, LL.
   superundare; fr. L. super over + undare to rise in waves,
   overflow, fr. unda wave. The English sense is due to the
   influence of E. round. See {Super-}, and {Undulate}, and cf.
   {Abound}.]
   1. To inclose on all sides; to encompass; to environ.
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   2. To lie or be on all sides of; to encircle; as, a wall
      surrounds the city.
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            But could instead, and ever-during dark
            Surrounds me.                         --Milton.
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   3. To pass around; to travel about; to circumnavigate; as, to
      surround the world. [Obs.] --Fuller.
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   4. (Mil.) To inclose, as a body of troops, between hostile
      forces, so as to cut off means of communication or
      retreat; to invest, as a city.
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   Syn: To encompass; encircle; environ; invest; hem in; fence
        about.
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Surrounding \Sur*round"ing\, a.
   Inclosing; encircling.
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Surrounding \Sur*round"ing\, n.
   1. An encompassing.
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   2. pl. The things which surround or environ; external or
      attending circumstances or conditions.
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32 Moby Thesaurus words for "surrounding":
      abutting, adjacent, adjoining, ambient, bordering, circling,
      circumambient, circumferential, circumflex, circumfluent,
      circumfluous, circumjacent, claustral, confining, contextual,
      embracing, encircling, enclosing, encompassing, enfolding,
      enveloping, environing, environmental, limiting, local, nearby,
      neighboring, parietal, peripheral, roundabout, suburban,
      wrapping