entourent

Entourent is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb entourer, meaning to surround or to enclose. It is used with the subjects ils or elles.

In use, entourent appears in sentences such as Ils entourent le bâtiment d’une barrière or Elles entourent la cour de murs, indicating that the subjects are surrounding something.

Etymology and range of meaning: entourer derives from Old French entourer, formed from en- “around” plus tourner or a related root meaning “to turn,” with the sense of encircling or enclosing something. The term can describe physical surrounding as well as figurative surrounding, such as surrounding a group with care or attention.

Pronunciation: entourent is pronounced roughly [ɑ̃.tuʁ], with the final -ent typically silent in standard French. The nasal syllable in the first part and the voiced uvular fricative in the final syllable reflect common French pronunciation patterns for this verb form.

See also: related forms include j’entoure (I surround), nous entourons (we surround), and the noun entourage, meaning a circle of people or a surrounding environment. The verb is commonly used across formal and informal contexts to describe enclosures, encirclements, and surrounding circumstances.