engulf

«engulf» in Mova's school dictionary: to cover or surround it completely, like a wave, flames… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

verb (engulf, engulfs, engulfed, engulfing)

meaning for a pupil

1) To engulf something is to cover or surround it completely, like a wave, flames or fog swallowing it up. tree →

2) If a feeling engulfs you, it suddenly fills you completely: «Panic engulfed him». tree →

sense in the lessons

In geography and science it describes floods, lava, sandstorms or fire covering an area; in biology, a white blood cell can engulf a germ to destroy it. In stories it creates a dramatic picture of something being swallowed or overwhelmed. Phrases: «engulfed in flames», «engulfed by the sea», «engulfed by fear».

examples

• Flames engulfed the old barn. tree →
• A huge wave engulfed the sandcastle. tree →
• Thick fog engulfed the town overnight. tree →
• Lava from the volcano engulfed the village. tree →
• A wave of sadness engulfed her when her dog died. tree →
• White blood cells engulf germs and destroy them. tree →
• The crowd engulfed the singer as she left the stage. tree →

note

Regular verb: engulfed, engulfing. Often passive: «engulfed in/by». Stronger than «cover»: it means completely surrounded or swallowed.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «engulf» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.