ENGLISH
REFERENCE

surroundings

n.
US //sɝˈaʊndɪŋz// UK //səɹˈaʊndɪŋz// sur·round·ings
  1. 1 environment (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the place where you are and the things that are around you.

    the physical area and conditions surrounding a person or thing; the environment or setting.

    Example

    The hotel was simple, but the natural surroundings were beautiful.

    Example

    After living in a crowded city for years, she found it difficult to adjust to the quiet surroundings of the countryside.

    Usage

    Always used in the plural form when referring to an environment.
    Pitfall
    The surrounding was very beautiful.
    The surroundings were very beautiful.

    In this sense, the word is always plural and takes a plural verb.

  2. 2 thermodynamics (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    everything in the universe that is not part of the specific system being studied.

    the portion of the universe outside the boundaries of a thermodynamic system.

    Example

    Heat is transferred from the chemical reaction to its surroundings.

    Example

    In an isolated system, there is no exchange of either matter or energy with the surroundings.

    Usage

    Used to distinguish the external environment from the internal system in physics and chemistry.

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