Dictionary

envelop en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (UK) audio
• ĕn-vĕlʹəp
• /ɛnˈvɛləp/

Etymology

From Middle English envolupen, from Old French anveloper, envoluper (modern French envelopper), from en- + voloper, vloper (“to wrap, wrap up”) (compare Italian -viluppare; Old Italian alternative form goluppare (“to wrap”)) from Vulgar Latin *vuloppare (“to wrap”), from Proto-Germanic *wlappaną, *wrappaną (“to wrap, roll up, turn, wind”), from Proto-Indo-European *werb- (“to turn, bend”) http://www.wordnik.com/words/envelop. Akin to Middle English wlappen (“to wrap, fold”) (Modern English lap (“to wrap, involve, fold”)), Middle English wrappen (“to wrap”), Middle Dutch lappen (“to wrap up, embrace”), Danish dialectal vravle (“to wind, twist”), Middle Low German wrempen (“to wrinkle, distort”), Old English wearp (“warp”). Doublet of enwrap.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To surround, enclose or enfold.
   • Then we trundle along a railway enveloped in trees for much of its route, before the river widens, allowing unobstructed views as the line hugs one bank before arriving at Looe, where the single platform is just long enough to fit a two-car Class 150. 2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 52:
   • In the fulness of time there was an eruption of the merry-makers to the sidewalk. The uninvited guests enveloped and permeated them, and upon the night air rose joyous cries, congratulations, laughter and unclassified noises born of McGary's oblations to the hymeneal scene. 1906 April, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “From the Cabby’s Seat”, in The Four Million, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co, →OCLC, page 165:
   • (b) sporophyte with foot reduced, the entire sporophyte enveloped by the calyptra, which is ± stipitate at the base. 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 4:
   • The Midlanders will hope the victory will kickstart a campaign that looked to have hit the buffers, but the sense of trepidation enveloping the Reebok Stadium heading into the new year underlines the seriousness of the predicament facing Owen Coyle's men. 2011 December 10, Marc Higginson, “Bolton 1 - 2 Aston Villa”, in BBC Sport:

Forms

Deriveds

disenvelop · enveloper

Relateds

envelope

Translations (45)

ota صارمق (to surround or enclose) · ml പൊതിയുക (to surround or enclose) · nl omhullen (to surround or enclose) · el περικυκλώνω (to surround or enclose) · uk огорну́ти (to surround or enclose) · az qaplamaq (to surround or enclose) · th ห่อหุ้ม (to surround or enclose) · uk обволіка́ти (to surround or enclose) · el περιβάλλω (to surround or enclose) · hu körbevesz (to surround or enclose) · uk оповива́ти (to surround or enclose) · uk обволокти́ (to surround or enclose) · mhr аваш (to surround or enclose) · fr envelopper (to surround or enclose) · cmn 籠罩 /笼罩 (to surround or enclose) · uk обгорта́ти (to surround or enclose) · mi kōpaki (to surround or enclose) · nb omringe (to surround or enclose) · fi sulkea (to surround or enclose) · el τυλίγω (to surround or enclose) · hu beborít (to surround or enclose) · pt envolver (to surround or enclose) · hu bekerít (to surround or enclose) · az çulğalamaq (to surround or enclose) · hu beburkol (to surround or enclose) · de einhüllen (to surround or enclose) · cmn 包裹 (to surround or enclose) · nl omvatten (to surround or enclose) · hu körülvesz (to surround or enclose) · it avviluppare (to surround or enclose) · uk огорта́ти (to surround or enclose) · nb innelukke (to surround or enclose) · bg обгръщам (to surround or enclose) · de umhüllen (to surround or enclose) · bg обвивам (to surround or enclose) · el περιτυλίγω (to surround or enclose) · nb omgi (to surround or enclose) · uk опови́ти (to surround or enclose) · ru окружа́ть (to surround or enclose) · uk обгорну́ти (to surround or enclose) · ru обволакивать (to surround or enclose) · cmn 包围 (to surround or enclose) · it circondare (to surround or enclose) · ja 立ち込める (to surround or enclose) · es envolver (to surround or enclose)