circumnavigate

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin circumnāvigātus, perfect passive participle of circumnāvigō (“sail round something, circumnavigate”), from circum (“about, around”) + nāvigō (“sail, navigate”), from nāvis (“ship”) + agō (“do”). Surface analysis: circum- + navigate.

verb

1. (transitive) To travel completely around somewhere or something, especially by sail.
   We circumnavigated the Mediterranean.
   On horses they circumnavigated the fields, comparing the progress of the harvest on the two halves. 2016, Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad, Fleet, published 2017, page 50
2. (transitive) To circumvent or bypass.
   Rebel of the tournament: Saudi Arabia’s Malek Al Hawsawi, who circumnavigated Fifa’s ban on jewellery by keeping his ring in his mouth. July 9 2006, “Magic month of memories”, in Times of London
3. (intransitive, sailing) To sail around the world.
   Patrick Childress, who solo circumnavigated on a Catalina 27 in 1982, stresses the value of eggs, which will keep at least six weeks if previously unrefrigerated and oiled with vegetable shortening. 1992, Richard Henderson, Singlehanded Sailing, page 225
   Jack and Lura Francis, both fairly tall, circumnavigated on a Westsail 32. 1997, Diana Jessie, The Cruising Woman's Advisor, page 30
   Chay Blyth was the first when he circumnavigated in British Steel in 292 days in 1970 in a voyage that some predicted would end in certain death. March 10 2004, Edward Gorman, “Van den Heede rewarded for perseverance”, in Times of London