wrap

verb \ ˈrap \

Definition of wrap

wrapped; wrapping

transitive verb

1 a :to cover especially by winding or folding

b :to envelop and secure for transportation or storage :bundle

c :enfold, embrace

d :to coil, fold, draw, or twine (such as string or cloth) around something

2 a :surround, envelop

b :to suffuse or surround with an aura or state

the affair was wrapped in scandal

c :to involve completely :engross —usually used with up

3 :to conceal or obscure as if by enveloping

4 :to enclose as if with a protective covering

5 :to finish filming or recording

wrap a movie

intransitive verb

1 :to wind, coil, or twine so as to encircle or cover something

2 :to put on clothing :dress —usually used with up

3 :to be subject to covering, enclosing, or packaging —usually used with up

4 :to come to completion in filming or recording

See wrap defined for English-language learners

See wrap defined for kids

Examples of wrap in a Sentence

They were busy wrapping presents late on Christmas Eve.
Ribbons were wrapped around the dancers' arms.
She wrapped a scarf around her neck.
He wrapped tape around the bat's handle.
I wrapped my arms around her.
She wrapped her legs around a pillow.
He wrapped his hands around the trophy.
The line of people went out the door and wrapped around the corner.

Recent Examples of wrap from the Web

The chain was wrapped around the whale’s lower jaw.

— becky bohrer, The Seattle Times, "Whale gets entangled in Alaska cruise-ship anchor for half a day," 29 Aug. 2017
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, hundreds of Texans were wrapped in blankets in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

— alan blinder and jack healy, New York Times, "Coffee and Cots as Houston Houses Thousands in a Convention Center," 28 Aug. 2017
Each pack of twenty-five roses had been wrapped exactly the same way.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Reflections of an Accidental Florist," 28 Aug. 2017
HITS Balmoral Park wrapped up its horse jumping competition summer season on Sunday with 45 riders vying for a $200,000 prize.

— frank vaisvilas, Daily Southtown, "Balmoral wraps up summer season with $200,000 horse jumping grand prix," 20 Aug. 2017
The event wraps up with a rendition of the German national anthem -- and Merkel may receive a gift from the locals.

— patrick donahue, Bloomberg.com, "What We Learned on the German Campaign Trail: Week One," 18 Aug. 2017
Donald Trump just wrapped up a three-night stay at his penthouse in Trump Tower in New York City, and his presence was palpable.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "Everything You Should Know About Trump Tower," 16 Aug. 2017
Both are wrapped, unapologetically, in the red, white, and blue.

— jamil smith, vanityfair.com, "Why the Democrats’ “Better Deal” Is Political Suicide," 11 Aug. 2017
Metro tells us the work on the NW side will finally wrap in late August, just in time for the reopening of Angels Flight.

— neal broverman, Los Angeles Magazine, "Angels Flight Deserves a More Uplifting Home," 31 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wrap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of wrap

Middle English wrappen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

wrap Synonyms

Synonyms

band, begird, belt, engird [archaic], engirdle, enwind, girdle, girt, girth, gird

Antonyms

ungird, unwrap

Related Words

tie up, truss; circle, enwreathe, loop, wind, wreathe; bandage, enswathe, swathe; chain, cord, enchain, lash, rope, shackle, tape, wire

Near Antonyms

unbind, unlash, unshackle, untie, unwind

wrap

noun

Definition of wrap

1 a (1) :wrapper, wrapping

(2) :material used for wrapping

plastic wrap

b :an article of clothing that may be wrapped around a person; especially :an outer garment (such as a coat or shawl)

c :blanket

d :a treatment for the care of the skin in which material (such as hot wet cloth or seaweed) is wrapped around the entire body; also :this material

2 :a single turn or convolution of something wound around an object

3 wraps plural

a :restraint

b :a shroud of secrecy

a plan kept under wraps

4 :the completion of a schedule or session for filming or recording

5 :a thin flat piece of bread that is rolled around a filling (as of meat, fish, or vegetables)

See wrap defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of wrap from the Web

This week’s economic research wrap includes important work on trade and earnings distributions.

— jeanna smialek, Bloomberg.com, "Free Trade’s Promise of Prosperity Comes With a Big Caveat," 29 Aug. 2017
To eat, remove from freezer, take off foil, wrap in a paper towel, and microwave two minutes, turning once.

— cheryl stritzel mccarthy, chicagotribune.com, "Busy mom shares easy make-ahead breakfast ideas," 29 Aug. 2017
The bill did wrap in some other 2012 disaster funding, including disasters that had been declared over Alaska Chinook salmon, New England groundfish, Mississippi fisheries and American Samoa bottomfish.

— glenn kessler, Washington Post, "Ted Cruz’s claim that two-thirds of the Hurricane Sandy bill ‘had nothing to do with Sandy’," 29 Aug. 2017
Beckham stood on the sideline in the second half, wearing street clothes and a wrap on his ankle.

— the associated press, New York Times, "Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall Avoid Major Injuries," 22 Aug. 2017
The brand melds her Native American roots with modern silhouettes: Silk wrap dresses printed with elk teeth are a nod to traditional Crow Nation regalia; tribal patterns adorn tank tops and maxi dresses.

— julia herbst, Los Angeles Magazine, "11 Women Who Are Making L.A. a Better Place," 17 Aug. 2017
Carolina is clicking into gear as the season approaches, but still, there were plenty of questions following the wrap of camp in Spartanburg on Sunday.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "Panthers post-camp mailbag: Did Damiere Byrd seal his roster spot?," 14 Aug. 2017
Usually, Thrones seasons wrap up in June—before SDCC.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "7 Spoiler-Filled Reveals from the 'Game of Thrones' Comic-Con Panel," 22 July 2017
Parallels with the Mustang GT, which shared space in our long-term fleet during much of the Camaro’s stint, were inevitable and much documented in the long-term wrap on the Ford.

— josh jacquot, Car and Driver, "2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS," 19 July 2017

First Known Use of wrap

15th century

Other Clothing Terms

babushka, brogue, bumbershoot, cravat, dishabille, furbelow, layette, raiment, spectator

wrap

adjective

Definition of wrap

:wraparound 1

Recent Examples of wrap from the Web

Wrap cheese in waxed paper and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

— molly kimball, NOLA.com, "Don't let 'vegan cheese' label scare you away from these tasty nut, veggie spreads," 29 Aug. 2017
Wrap pencil with washi tape keeping it as tight as possible.

— sarah newell, Seventeen, "11 Ridiculously Awesome DIY Gifts for Your BFFs," 9 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of wrap

1923

Other Clothing Terms

babushka, brogue, bumbershoot, cravat, dishabille, furbelow, layette, raiment, spectator

WRAP Defined for English Language Learners

wrap

verb

Definition of wrap for English Language Learners

: to cover (something) by winding or folding a piece of material around it
: to wind or fold (something) around something else
: to put (your arms, legs, etc.) around someone or something

wrap

noun

Definition of wrap for English Language Learners

: material used for covering or wrapping something
: a piece of clothing that is wrapped around a person's shoulders, waist, etc.
: a thin piece of bread that is rolled around a filling of meat, vegetables, etc.