immure

[ ih-myoor ]

verb (used with object)

, im·mured, im·mur·ing.

1. to enclose within walls.
2. to shut in; seclude or confine.
3. to imprison.
4. to build into or entomb in a wall.
5. Obsolete. to surround with walls; fortify.

immure

/ ɪˈmjʊə /

verb

1. archaic.
   to enclose within or as if within walls; imprison
2. to shut (oneself) away from society
3. obsolete.
   to build into or enclose within a wall

Derived Forms

• imˈmurement, noun

Other Words From

• im·murement im·mu·ra·tion [im-y, uh, -, rey, -sh, uh, n], noun
• self-im·murement noun
• self-im·muring adjective
• unim·mured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of immure¹

1575–85; < Medieval Latin immūrāre, equivalent to Latin im- im- ¹ + -mūrāre, verbal derivative of mūrus wall ( mural )

Word History and Origins

Origin of immure¹

C16: from Medieval Latin immūrāre, from Latin im- (in) + mūrus a wall

Example Sentences

However, officials said there is a 10% chance that all 2.6 million cubic yards of rock from the mountain Lenzerhorn could come tumbling down to immure Brienz, making it too great a risk to allow people to stay there.

From Washington Times

What if Vicino was a homicidal lunatic who had decided to immure me in here, like a poorly characterised antagonist in one of Edgar Allan Poe’s tales of terror?

From The Guardian

The moral enthusiasm of the age chiefly drove men to abandon their civic or domestic duties, to immure themselves in monasteries, and to waste their strength by prolonged and extravagant maceration.505 Yet, in the midst of all this superstition, there can be no question that in some respects the religious agencies were operating for good.

From Project Gutenberg

Ye are three brothers: p. 68Each a faithful wife at home possesses:— Her who comes to-morrow to Bojana, Her who brings the rations to the workmen— Her immure within the wall’s foundations:— So shall the foundations fix them firmly: So shalt thou erect Bojana’s fortress.”

From Project Gutenberg

Said the Vila of the forest-mountain, ‘Each of you a faithful wife possesses; Each a faithful bride that keeps your dwellings: Her who to the fortress comes to-morrow, Her who brings their rations to the workmen— Her immure within the wall’s foundations; So will the foundations bear the fortress: So Bojana’s fortress be erected.’ p. 69Now then, brothers! in God’s holy presence Let each swear to keep the awful secret; Leave to chance whose fate ’twill be to-morrow First to wend her way to Skadra’s river.”

From Project Gutenberg