ENVIRONS

environs, purlieu

(noun) an outer adjacent area of any place

environment, environs, surroundings, surround

(noun) the area in which something exists or lives; “the country--the flat agricultural surround”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

environs pl (plural only)

plural of environ The surroundings; the environment.

Verb

environs

Third-person singular simple present indicative form of environ

Source: Wiktionary

En*vi"rons, n. pl. Etym: [F.]

Definition: The parts or places which surround another place, or lie in its neighborhood; suburbs; as, the environs of a city or town. Chesterfield.

ENVIRON

En*vi"ron, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Environed; p. pr. & vb. n. Environing.] Etym: [F. environner, fr. environ about, thereabout; pref. en- (L. in) + OF. viron circle, circuit, fr. OF. & F. virer to turn, LL. virare to turn up and down, topsy-turvy. Cf. Veer.]

Definition: To surround; to encompass; to encircle; to hem in; to be round about; to involve or envelop. Dwelling in a pleasant glade, With mountains round about environed. Spenser. Environed he was with many foes. Shak. Environ me with darkness whilst I write. Donne.

En*vi"ron, adv. Etym: [F.]

Definition: About; around. [Obs.] Lord Godfrey's eye three times environ goes. Fairfax.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition