circumscribe: M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for December 19 is:

circumscribe \SER-kum-skrybe\ verb
1 a : to constrict the range or activity of definitely and clearly b : to define or mark off carefully
2 a : to draw a line around *b : to surround by or as if by a boundary

Example sentence:
Horses grazed in a paddock circumscribed by a lovely white picket fence.

Did you know?
"Circumscribe" has a lot of relatives in English. Its Latin predecessor "circumscribere" (which roughly translates as "to draw a circle around") derives from "circum-," meaning "circle," and "scribere," meaning "to write or draw." Among the many descendents of "circum-" are "circuit," "circumcise," "circumference," "circumnavigate," "circumspect," "circumstance," and "circumvent." "Scribere" gave us such words as "scribe" and "scribble," as well as "ascribe," "describe," and "transcribe," among others. "Circumscribe" first appeared in print in the 14th century; it was originally spelled "circumscrive," but the "circumscribe" spelling had also appeared by the end of the century.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

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