enclosure
/ɪnˈkləʊʒə
/ /ɛnˈkləʊʒə/(also inclosure)
noun
1An area that is surrounded by a barrier: a deer enclosure...
- The Park itself has many other attractions, such as woodland walks, deer enclosures and wild boar areas.
- Some days later, half a dozen plastic covers containing some popcorn were found near one of the deer enclosures.
- How can one be sure that the dry moat surrounding the enclosures would actually prevent the lions or the bears from jumping across?
Synonyms
paddock, fold, pen, compound, stockade, ring, yard, pound;
sty, coop, cage;
Scottish parrock;
North American corral;
South African kraal;
in South America potrero
rare circumvallation
1.1British A section of a racecourse for a specified activity or group of people: the members' enclosure...
- Best Mate, trained by Henrietta Knight, won his third Gold Cup last year and now has an enclosure named after him at the course.
- It was a far cry from members' enclosures at racetracks.
- From the track to the unsaddling enclosure, every yard felt like a mile.
Synonyms
area, special area, assigned area, compound, arena;
box, compartment
1.2A barrier that surrounds an area: the cemetery lay within a high walled enclosure...
- The project is expected to be long term, with the igloos remaining in the area as protective enclosures, shielding the penguins from dangers of domestic animals.
- The bandstand has lost original parts, such as the decorative balustrade and metal enclosures, which surrounded the construction.
- One option is to construct a simple hinged gate that makes up one wall of the enclosure.
2A document or object placed in an envelope together with a letter.The letter's enclosures included documents in support of that charge....
- Letters hold surprising enclosures - pressed violets, four-leaf clovers, and the occasional trinket.
- Having considered her letter and enclosures we find that the reason that she has given for her non-attendance is quite unsatisfactory.
Synonyms
insertion, inclusion, addition;
thing enclosed
3 [mass noun] historical The process or policy of fencing in wasteland or common land so as to make it private property, as pursued in much of Britain in the 18th and early 19th centuries: one of the chief effects of enclosure was to increase the number of landless workers...
- A process known as land enclosure had changed the face of the landscape.
- The enclosure of common land permitted the systematic exploitation of timber or its improvement as arable land to meet the rising demand for grain.
- This poem is one of the pithiest condemnations of the English enclosure movement, the process of fencing off common land and turning it into private property.
4The state of being enclosed, especially in a religious community: the nuns kept strict enclosure...
- Tridentine decrees forced the enclosure of their community.
Origin
Late Middle English: from legal Anglo-Norman French and Old French, from enclos 'closed in' (see enclose).