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Engulf vs Envelop - What's the difference?

engulf | envelop |

In transitive terms the difference between engulf and envelop

is that engulf is to surround; to cover while envelop is to surround or enclose.

engulf

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To overwhelm.
    • Desperation engulfed her after her daughter's death.
  • * 2013 June 18, , " Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders," New York Times (retrieved 21 June 2013):
    • Shaken by the biggest challenge to their authority in years, Brazil’s leaders made conciliatory gestures on Tuesday to try to defuse the protests engulfing the nation’s cities.
  • To surround; to cover.
    • Only Noah and his family survived when the Flood engulfed earth.

    envelop

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l) (obsolete) * (l)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To surround or enclose.
  • *
    • (b ) sporophyte with foot reduced, the entire sporophyte enveloped by the calyptra, which is ± stipitate at the base.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 10 , author=Marc Higginson , title=Bolton 1 - 2 Aston Villa , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The Midlanders will hope the victory will kickstart a campaign that looked to have hit the buffers, but the sense of trepidation enveloping the Reebok Stadium heading into the new year underlines the seriousness of the predicament facing Owen Coyle's men.}}

    See also

    * envelope ----