shrink-wrap

verb

ˈshriŋk-ˌrap How to pronounce shrink-wrap (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈsriŋk-
shrink-wrapped; shrink-wrapping; shrink-wraps

transitive verb

: to wrap (something, such as a book or a piece of meat) in tough clear plastic film that is then shrunk (as by heating) to form a tightly fitting package
shrink-wrap noun

Examples of shrink-wrap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This method follows the lead of thinner skinned English cucumbers, which are shrink-wrapped in plastic. Susan Hall Mahon, Southern Living, 2 Feb. 2024 The heat from the hair dryer essentially shrink-wraps the film to the window frame. Belle Duchene, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Oct. 2023 These attitudes toward the human body seem echoed even in the way meat is presented to us in supermarket freezers: filleted and shrink-wrapped, so that any trace of its anatomical origin is erased. Will Self, Harper's Magazine, 12 Sep. 2022 The low-voltage wires and parts were also tacked onto acrylic, individually crimped, and heat shrink-wrapped. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 28 Mar. 2023 The product – still shrink-wrapped in its box – received 27 bids by the time the auction concluded Sunday. Louis Casiano, Fox News, 21 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shrink-wrap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrink-wrap was in 1959

Dictionary Entries Near shrink-wrap

Cite this Entry

“Shrink-wrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrink-wrap. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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