What does "wrap" mean?

1. (to cover or enclose) to cover something by putting paper, cloth, or plastic around it. 2. (to finish filming) to finish recording a movie, a scene, or a television show. 3. (text formatting) to make text move to a new line automatically when it reaches the edge of the screen. 4. (food) a type of sandwich made by rolling ingredients inside a soft, flat bread like a tortilla. 5. (clothing) a piece of clothing, like a large scarf or shawl, that you wear around your shoulders. 6. (covering material) material like paper or plastic used to cover or protect something.

wrap — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01to cover or enclose

A2 · Elementary

v. to cover something by putting paper, cloth, or plastic around it.

v. to enclose an object completely in a flexible material for protection, storage, or as a gift.

“I need to wrap this gift before we go to the party.”

“The movers carefully wrapped the antique mirror in several layers of bubble wrap to prevent any damage during transit.”

Synonyms

coverenveloppackage

Antonyms

unwrapuncover

02to finish filming

B2 · Upper Intermediate Theater Informal

v. to finish recording a movie, a scene, or a television show.

v. to conclude the filming or recording process of a production or a specific segment.

“The director shouted 'cut' and told the crew they had finally wrapped.”

“After three months of intensive shooting on location, the production team finally wrapped the principal photography last night.”

Synonyms

finish conclude complete

Antonyms

start commence

03text formatting

B2 · Upper Intermediate Computing Technical

v. to make text move to a new line automatically when it reaches the edge of the screen.

v. to cause a continuous line of text to break and continue on a subsequent line when it reaches a margin.

“If the sentence is too long, the word processor will wrap the text to the next line.”

“The code editor is configured to wrap lines automatically, ensuring that long strings of logic remain visible without horizontal scrolling.”

04food

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Cooking

n. a type of sandwich made by rolling ingredients inside a soft, flat bread like a tortilla.

n. a food item consisting of various fillings rolled in a thin, flexible flatbread.

“I usually have a chicken wrap and a piece of fruit for lunch.”

“The café offers a variety of gourmet wraps, including a Mediterranean option with hummus, roasted vegetables, and feta cheese.”

Synonyms

burritoroll-up

05clothing

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a piece of clothing, like a large scarf or shawl, that you wear around your shoulders.

n. a loose outer garment or piece of fabric, such as a shawl, worn wrapped around the upper body.

“She put on a warm wrap before stepping out onto the balcony.”

“The evening gown was accompanied by a silk wrap that provided both elegance and protection against the night air.”

Synonyms

shawl stole scarf

06covering material

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. material like paper or plastic used to cover or protect something.

n. flexible material used for covering, protecting, or containing an item.

“Keep the leftovers in the fridge covered with plastic wrap.”

“The industrial-strength shrink wrap secured the pallets together, ensuring the cargo remained stable throughout the sea voyage.”

Synonyms

packaging film foil

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “wrap” in context.

Verb

01. carefully wrap the gift

“She carefully wrapped the gift in colorful paper before the party started.”

adv + verb + noun

02. wrap a scarf around your neck

“You should wrap a scarf around your neck because it is freezing outside.”

verb + noun + prep + possessive + noun

03. wrap the leftovers in foil

“Please wrap the leftovers in foil and put them in the refrigerator.”

verb + noun + prep + noun

04. wrap up the meeting

“Let's wrap up the meeting so everyone can get home on time.”

verb + adv + noun

Adjective

05. individually wrapped

“The box contained twenty individually wrapped chocolates.”

adv + adj

Noun

06. bubble wrap

“We used plenty of bubble wrap to protect the glass vases during the move.”

noun + noun

07. chicken wrap

“I ordered a spicy chicken wrap and a side salad for lunch.”

noun + noun

“After the Barbican run this autumn, the tour will wrap up in Paris.”

The Guardian 14 Aug 2026

“You may want to wrap it in a towel to avoid direct contact with your skin.”

BBC News 22 Jun 2026

From Middle English wrappen (“to wrap, fold”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to North Frisian wrappe (“to press into; stop up”), dialectal Danish vrappe (“to stuff, cram”), Middle Low German rincworpen (“to envelop, wrap”), Middle Low German wrempen (“to wrinkle, scrunch the face”), all perhaps tied to Proto-Indo-European werp-, werb- (“to turn, twist, bend”). Compare also similar-sounding and similar-meaning Middle English wlappen (“to wrap, lap, envelop, fold”), Middle Dutch lappen (“to wrap up”), Old Italian goluppare (“to wrap”) (from Germanic). Doublet of lap; related to envelop, develop. Also compare Latin verber (“whip, lash”).