wrap
/rap
/verb (wraps, wrapping, wrapped or archaic wrapt) [with object]
1Cover or enclose in paper or soft material: he wrapped up the Christmas presents Leonora wrapped herself in a large white bath towel...
- The pillars are wrapped in new reflective material which allows light to bounce off the stone and create a natural light in the building.
- Coming back into the room, she wrapped a soft night-robe around her.
- The designers used paper fabric to wrap each chair.
Synonyms
swathe, bundle up, swaddle, sheathe, muffle, cloak, enfold, envelop, encase, enclose, cover, fold, wind
literary lap
parcel up, parcel, package, pack, pack up, bundle, bundle up, do up, tie up, gift-wrap
1.1 (wrap something round/around) Arrange paper or soft material round: wrap the bandage around the injured limb...
- I dried myself off with a soft towel and wrapped it around myself while I dried my hair and brushed my teeth.
- Serena is knitting and wraps a skein around Offred's hands.
- She wrapped a paper napkin around her uneaten pretzel and gave him her full attention.
1.2Place an arm, finger, or leg round: he wrapped an arm around her waist...
- He laughed, placing his arms over mine, intertwining our fingers and wrapping both our arms around my upper torso.
- Her fingers were tightly wrapped over the edge of the mattress and she watched the clock closely.
- It'll be tough to wrap your fingers all the way around the bar, but that's the point.
1.3Clasp; embrace: she wrapped him in her arms...
- As a reaction the man grabbed her close to him, wrapping her into an embrace.
- Upon hearing them, the old woman wrapped Altair into an embrace similar to the one she'd given Ada, nearly squeezing the life out of him.
- I was wrapped in Diogenes' embrace and gazing sleepily at the flames as they danced within the confines of the fire pit.
1.4 informal Crash a vehicle into (a stationary object): Richard wrapped his car around a telegraph pole...
- The car swerved and wrapped itself around a pole.
- Smoke pours from the hood of the mangled car that has wrapped itself around a sturdy palm.
- Toby recognized the car that was now wrapped around a pole; it belonged to one of the local teens.
2 Computing Cause (a word or unit of text) to be carried over to a new line automatically as the margin is reached, or to fit around embedded features such as pictures: the program can automatically wrap text around irregularly shaped graphics words are wrapped to the next line if they are too long...
- In fact in most cases, it is highly desirable to have an editor that wraps long text lines.
- If a line of text is too long to fit between the page margins, the text should be wrapped onto additional lines as needed.
- Some email programs automatically wrap text at a certain number of characters - while others won't wrap the text at all.
2.1 [no object] (Of a word or unit of text) be carried over automatically as the margin is reached: when you type, the text wraps to the next line the text in the document wraps around the image...
- I'd like to do what one often sees in printed books - a picture is forced to the top of a page, and the text wraps around it.
- For some reason, the paragraph on the pages don't wrap - they just go on one line causing a horizontal scrollbar.
- For another, the view doesn't stretch the width of the your screen, so text will end up wrapping when on the final page it might not.
3 [no object] informal Finish filming or recording: we wrapped on schedule three days later...
- After the film wrapped, DeMille had the set dismantled and buried.
- When the film had wrapped, Arnold and Monroe spent a week together going through contact sheets.
- In January 2000 the film I was producing wrapped, and the editing process began in New York City.
noun
1A loose outer garment or piece of material: beach wraps...
- Finally, Dragana Perisic's simple, stylish pieces consists of wraps for men and long straight skirts for women.
- More fluid designs and flowers bloomed all over the catwalks, on everything from chiffon dresses and silk wraps to shirts, bikinis and kaftans.
- Capes, ponchos and crocheted wraps were teamed with pants and even skirts.
Synonyms
shawl, stole, cloak, cape, mantle, scarf;
in South America poncho, serape
rare pelisse, pelerine, mantlet
1.1 [as modifier] (Of a garment) having one part overlapping another; wrap-around: a wrap skirt...
- Typical usage is a simple trim on a hood or wrap scarf and the fur might just as easily be rabbit as mink.
- There was plenty of creativity on the ramp as Rohit played around with the traditional lungi and wrap skirt combining them with pants.
- After a swim, put on the wrap skirt over your bikini or swim suit, and go for a drink.
1.2 [mass noun] Paper or soft material used for wrapping: plastic food wrap...
- Bones and plastic food wrap can cause choking and/or obstruct a pet's digestive system, and may require a surgical solution.
- Films are the type of flexible plastic used in plastic bags or food wrap, only much thicker.
- To maintain humidity during germination, I place the flat in a plastic bag, cover it with plastic food wrap or use a plastic humidity cover.
1.3 (usually wraps) A veil of secrecy maintained about something, especially a new project: details of the police operation are being kept under wraps...
- A separate rate would be arranged for families wishing to hire canoes, although many of the details of the project remain under wraps.
- Because it did not have final approval, the project was kept under wraps.
- Just how seriously council is considering that option, or other financial decisions associated with the project, is being kept under wraps.
Synonyms
secret, top secret, confidential, strictly confidential, classified, restricted, hush-hush, off the record, not for publication/circulation, not to be made public, not to be disclosed;
unrevealed, undisclosed, unpublished, untold, unknown;
Latin sub rosa
1.4British informal A small packet of a powdered illegal drug: a £5 wrap of speed...
- A drug dealer who sold wraps of heroin to undercover detectives has been jailed for three years.
- Lisa has tracked a drug dealer carrying 16 wraps of heroin through York city centre and radioed police to put them on his trail.
- The next day, officers searched his home discovering three Ecstasy pills, seven wraps of cocaine and cannabis resin hidden in an aftershave box.
2 [usually in singular] informal The end of a session of filming or recording: right, it’s a wrap...
- I just finished a wrap last week on a movie called Bottoms Up, which is a romantic comedy.
- The director keyed his radio and announced that this segment was a wrap and that John and Shawn should get themselves to the set.
- As the testing draws to a close and the director calls a wrap on the shoot, I realise the Ferrari 355 Spyder hasn't been part of the proceedings at all.
3A tortilla wrapped around a cold filling, eaten as a sandwich.The Point Cafe also offers a variety of breakfast items, as well as soup, salads, sandwiches and wraps....
- Wholemeal, ciabatta, bagels, pitta bread or tortilla wraps will be a welcome change.
- But while the more adventurous opt for tortilla wraps and spicy fillings, just as many will plump for a basic cheese roll.
Phrasal verbs
wrap up
be wrapped up in
wrap something up
Origin
Middle English: of unknown origin.