ETYM Latin contextus; cf. French contexte.
1. Discourse that surrounds a language unit and helps to determine its interpretation; SYN. linguistic context, context of use.
2. The set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event; SYN. circumstance.

Words or passages immediately preceding and following a word or passage.
In archeology, an artifact's matrix (the sediment or material surrounding it), its provenance (its three-dimensional position within that matrix), and its association with other artifacts in the matrix.