envelope

envelope

a flat paper cover or wrapper: Put the letter into an envelope.

Not to be confused with:

envelop – to wrap around; enfold; hide; enclose: Envelop the area with high walls.

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

en·ve·lope

 (ĕn′və-lōp′, ŏn′-)

n.

1. A flat paper container, especially for a letter, usually having a gummed flap.

2. Something that envelops; a wrapping.

3. Biology An enclosing structure or cover, such as a membrane or the outer coat of a virus.

4. The bag containing the gas in a balloon or airship.

5. The set of limitations within which a technological system, especially an aircraft, can perform safely and effectively.

6. Astronomy

a. A usually spherical region of interstellar matter surrounding a forming star and interacting with the star's gravitational and radiation fields.

b. The coma of a comet.

7. Mathematics A curve or surface that is tangent to every one of a family of curves or surfaces.

Idiom:

push the envelope

To exceed or try to exceed the existing limits of a discipline or activity.

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[French enveloppe, from envelopper, to envelop, from Old French envoloper; see envelop.]

Usage Note: Some people dislike the pronunciation (ŏn′və-lōp′), arguing that it is pretentious for being pseudo-French and that it is unnecessary, since there is a perfectly acceptable Anglicized pronunciation, (ĕn′və-lōp′). But the pronunciation with (ŏn) is gaining in acceptability: in our 1992 survey, 30 percent of the Usage Panel used it exclusively, and another 9 percent used it occasionally; by 2011, 46 percent selected it as their preferred pronunciation. Both forms should be considered standard.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

envelope

(ˈɛnvəˌləʊp; ˈɒn-)

n

1. a flat covering of paper, usually rectangular in shape and with a flap that can be folded over and sealed, used to enclose a letter, etc

2. any covering or wrapper

3. (Biology) biology any enclosing structure, such as a membrane, shell, or skin

4. (Aeronautics) the bag enclosing the gas in a balloon

5. (Mathematics) maths a curve or surface that is tangent to each one of a group of curves or surfaces

6. (Electronics) electronics the sealed glass or metal housing of a valve, electric light, etc

7. (General Physics) telecomm the outer shape of a modulated wave, formed by the peaks of successive cycles of the carrier wave

8. push the envelope informal to push the boundaries of what is possible

[C18: from French enveloppe, from envelopper to wrap around; see envelop; sense 8 from aeronautics jargon, referring to graphs of aircraft performance]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

en•ve•lope

(ˈɛn vəˌloʊp, ˈɑn-)

n.

1. a flat paper container, as for a letter or thin package, usu. having a gummed flap or other means of closure.

2. something that envelops; a wrapper or surrounding cover.

3. a surrounding or enclosing part, as an integument or an outer membrane.

4. Geom. a curve or surface tangent to each member of a set of curves or surfaces.

5. the fabric structure enclosing the gasbag of an aerostat.

6. the gasbag itself.

7. the airtight glass or metal housing of a vacuum tube.

8. the technical limits within which an aircraft or electronic system may be safely operated.

Idioms:

push the envelope, to stretch established limits, as in technological advance or social innovation.

[1700–10; < French enveloppe, derivative of envelopper to envelop]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	envelope - a flat (usually rectangular) container for a letter, thin package, etc. container - any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another) window envelope - an envelope with a transparent panel that reveals the address on the enclosure
	2.	envelope - any wrapper or covering wrapping, wrapper, wrap - the covering (usually paper or cellophane) in which something is wrapped
	3.	envelope - a curve that is tangent to each of a family of curves curve, curved shape - the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes
	4.	envelope - a natural covering (as by a fluid); "the spacecraft detected an envelope of gas around the comet" covering, natural covering, cover - a natural object that covers or envelops; "under a covering of dust"; "the fox was flushed from its cover"
	5.	envelope - the maximum operating capability of a system (especially an aircraft); "test pilots try to push the envelope" operating capability, performance capability - the capability of a technological system to perform as intended
	6.	envelope - the bag containing the gas in a balloon gasbag bag - a flexible container with a single opening; "he stuffed his laundry into a large bag" balloon - large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

envelope

noun wrapping, casing, case, covering, cover, skin, shell, coating, jacket, sleeve, sheath, wrapper She opened the envelope and withdrew a typed note.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

ظَرْفغِلاف

sobre de carta

obálka

konvolutkuvert

BriefumschlagUmschlag

φάκελος

sobre

ümbrik

kirjekuori

enveloppe

מעטפה

omotnicakovertaomotač

borítéklevélboríték

umslag

bustainviluppoinvoltoinvolucro

封筒

봉투

vokas

aploksneapvalks

envelopomslagbriefomslag

konvolutt

koperta

envelope

plic

конвертогибающая

obálka

ovojnica

kuvertomslaghöljehyllekonvolut

ซองจดหมาย

zarf

phong bì

信封

envelope

[ˈenvələʊp] N [of letter] → sobre m (fig) (= wrapping) → funda f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

envelope

[ˈɛnvələʊp] n → enveloppe f
to push the envelope → repousser les limites

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

envelope

n

→ (Brief)umschlag m; (large: for packets etc) → Umschlag m

(of balloon, Biol) → Hülle f; (of airship) → Außenhaut f; (of insect) → Hautpanzer m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

envelope

[ˈɛnvələʊp] n → busta
in a sealed envelope → in busta sigillata or chiusa

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

envelope

(ˈenvələup) noun

a thin, flat wrapper or cover, especially for a letter. The letter arrived in a long envelope. koevert غِلاف плик envelope obálka der Umschlag konvolut; kuvert φάκελοςsobre ümbrik پاکت نامه kuori enveloppeמעטפה लिफाफा omotnica, omot (levél)boríték amplop umslag busta 封筒 봉투 vokas aploksne; apvalks sampul surat envelopkonvoluttkoperta كڅوړه، پاكټ، جيب envelope plic конверт obálka kuverta koverat kuvert ซอง zarf 信封 конверт; обгортка لفافہ phong bì 信封

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

envelope

→ ظَرْف obálka konvolut Briefumschlag φάκελος sobre kirjekuori enveloppe omotnica busta 封筒 봉투 envelop konvolutt koperta envelope конверт kuvert ซองจดหมาย zarf phong bì 信封

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

en·ve·lope

1. n. sobre, objeto de papel de uso postal;

2. cubierta;

cápsula.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012