wrapping

wrapping — noun

1. The layer of material, such as paper, plastic, or foil, that is put around an ob

1.nounB1
Definition

The layer of material, such as paper, plastic, or foil, that is put around an object to cover, protect, or decorate it — for example, the colourful paper around a birthday gift.

Example

Padma carefully removed the bright wrapping from her birthday gift.

collocation: remove + the wrapping

The shop assistant put the chocolates in a box before adding the decorative wrapping.

collocation: decorative wrapping

Common collocations
  • gift wrapping
  • wrapping paper
  • plastic wrapping
  • bubble wrapping
  • remove the wrapping
  • tear off the wrapping
  • decorative wrapping
  • original wrapping
Synonyms
  • wrapper

    Refers specifically to the outer paper or foil that directly covers a product (e.g. a candy wrapper); 'wrapping' is broader and includes decorative layers.

  • packaging

    Includes not just the outer layer but also boxes, containers, and cushioning material; more commercial than 'wrapping'.

  • covering

    A more general term for anything that lies over or around something; not specific to the act of wrapping.

Usage Note

Often used as an uncountable noun ('some wrapping'), but can be countable when referring to a specific outer layer ('a plastic wrapping').

Common Mistakes

I took off the wrap from the present.
I took off the wrapping from the present.
'wrap' as a noun usually refers to a blanket or shawl, not the covering on a gift.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Wrapping, wrapper, packaging, and covering all refer to something that goes around an object, but they differ in scope and use. Wrapping is the broadest everyday term — it can mean the decorative paper on a gift or the plastic around food. Wrapper is narrower: it typically describes the thin paper or foil that directly encloses a manufactured product, like a chocolate bar. Packaging is a commercial term that includes the entire container system — box, bubble wrap, instructions, and all. Covering is the most general of the four and can refer to anything from a blanket to a layer of paint. For example: 'She admired the elegant wrapping on the present' suggests carefully chosen paper; 'I unwrapped the candy bar by peeling back its wrapper' points to a thin industrial layer. Choosing the right word depends on whether the focus is on decoration, direct enclosure, or protection.

wrapping ↗wrapperpackaging ↗covering ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

Old English / ScandinavianMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed from the verb 'wrap' plus the suffix '-ing', which turns the action into the material used for that action. The verb 'wrap' comes from Middle English 'wrappen' (to wind or cover), a word of uncertain origin — possibly from a Scandinavian source or related to earlier English 'wlispian'. The noun form 'wrapping' emerged in the 1500s to describe the covering itself rather than the act of covering.