enfold

Enfold is a verb meaning to surround, envelop, or wrap something or someone. It can describe physical actions, as in a cloak enfolding a traveler, or figurative ones, such as a landscape enfolding a valley in mist or a proposal that enfolds many ideas within it. The word can also be used reflexively, as in “to enfold oneself in comfort.”

Etymology: Enfold derives from Middle English enfolden, formed from en- (to cause to be) and fold (to wrap or double). It is of Germanic origin and has appeared in literature since the medieval period, though in modern usage it is comparatively formal or poetic.

Usage notes: Enfold conveys a sense of complete enclosure and often a gentle, protective quality. It tends to be more literary than everyday “wrap” or “surround,” and is common in descriptive prose, poetry, or rhetorical writing. It can also describe the way ideas, memories, or atmospheres are included within a larger context.

Forms: The noun enfoldment denotes the act or result of enfolding; enfolded is the past participle/adjective; enfolding is the present participle. Related verbs include enfold and enfold into (though this latter usage is less standard).

See also: envelop, surround, encase, embrace.