English Reference
noun

wrapping

n.
US /ˈɹæpɪŋ/ UK /ɹˈæpɪŋ/ wrap·ping

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    the paper, plastic, or cloth used to cover and protect an object.

    the material, such as paper or film, used to encase or protect an item.

    Simple

    Please throw the plastic wrapping in the bin after you open the box.

    In context

    The manufacturer replaced the traditional foil wrapping with a biodegradable alternative to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Computing

    the way text automatically moves to a new line when it reaches the edge of a screen.

    the automatic arrangement of text into lines so that it fits within the specified width of a window or column.

    Simple

    If you turn off text wrapping, you will have to scroll sideways to read the whole sentence.

    In context

    The developer adjusted the CSS properties to ensure that text wrapping functioned correctly on mobile devices with narrow screens.

    word wrapline break

Etymology 1

From Middle English wrappinge, wrappynge, equivalent to wrap + -ing.

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English wrappinge
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated