envelop
Americanverb (used with object)
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to wrap up in or as in a covering.
The long cloak she was wearing enveloped her completely.
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to serve as a wrapping or covering for, as a membrane of an organ or a sheath.
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to surround entirely.
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Military. to attack (an enemy's flank).
noun
verb
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to wrap or enclose in or as if in a covering
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to conceal or obscure, as from sight or understanding
a plan enveloped in mystery
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to surround or partially surround (an enemy force)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of envelop
1350–1400; Middle English envolupen < Old French envoluper, equivalent to en- en- 1 + voloper to envelop, of obscure origin; compare Old Provençal ( en ) volopar, Italian inviluppare to envelop, Italian viluppo tuft, bundle, confusion, referred to Medieval Latin faluppa chaff, wisp of straw, perhaps influenced by the descendants of Latin volvere to roll
Explanation
When something envelops you, it wraps around you. The Snuggie Blanket is so popular because it envelops your body, leaving only your head uncovered. Sure, it looks dorky, but it keeps you extra warm. You probably noticed that envelop looks just like the noun envelope, minus that last letter "e", and that's an easy way to help you remember its meaning, too. Picture what an envelope does — it seals a letter completely inside, or envelops it. Envelop can also be used in a symbolic way, to describe something that consumes or occupies your mind. If the pretty girl you just met starts to envelop your thoughts, your work will suffer because you can't concentrate. Envelop comes from the late 14c. word envolupen, meaning "be involved in."
Vocabulary lists containing envelop
"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
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Comfy Cozy Lingo
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The best and wholesom'st spirits of the night Envelop you, good provost!
From Measure for Measure by Shakespeare, William
Envelop my black cloth coat in a newspaper and hang it in the back room.
From Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 1 (1835-1866) by Paine, Albert Bigelow
Envelop the fish in buttered paper, and also the seasonings in which it has been improved, except the thyme and bay-leaves, broil it, and serve with piquante sauce.
From Hand-Book of Practical Cookery for Ladies and Professional Cooks by Blot, Pierre
But soon the subtle pomps of light Evade us like a dream, And with a breath the greys of night Envelop every gleam.
From A Century of Emblems by Cautley, G. S.
Envelop it in a towel and tie it.
From Hand-Book of Practical Cookery for Ladies and Professional Cooks by Blot, Pierre
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
