Surrounding on all sides; encircling or encompassing in every direction.
From Latin 'circum' (around) + 'ambiens' (present participle of 'ambire,' to go around). This adjective entered English in the 17th century, especially in poetic and philosophical usage.
In poetry, 'circumambient air' is far more evocative than just 'surrounding air'—it suggests air that doesn't just surround you but actively envelops and moves around you. Shelley and other Romantics loved this word for its atmospheric suggestiveness.
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