mid-15c., "action of enclosing," from enclose + -ure. Meaning "that which is enclosed" is from 1550s.
Entries linking to enclosure
enclose v.
enclosen, "to surround (a plot of ground, a town, a building, etc.) with walls, fences, or other barriers," early 14c., from en- (1) + close (v.), and partially from Old French enclos, past participle of enclore "surround; confine; contain." Specific sense of "to fence in waste or common ground" for the purpose of cultivation or to give it to private owners is from c. 1500. Meaning "place a document with a letter for transmission" is from 1707. Related: Enclosed; enclosing.
-ure
suffix forming abstract nouns of action, from Old French -ure, from Latin -ura, an ending of fem. nouns denoting employment or result.
inclosure n.
variant of enclosure preserved in some legal uses. Related: Inclosure.