What does wrapper mean?
A wrapper is a material or covering used to enclose, protect, or present an object or package. The most familiar examples are the paper around a gift, the plastic around food, and the foil or cardboard around a small product. In these uses, the word is practical and neutral, but it can also suggest neatness, gift-giving, branding, or the promise of something inside. Wrapper can more generally mean any outer covering, including a protective layer around a component or product. Less commonly, it can describe a person whose work is wrapping goods. In computing, a wrapper is an interface or program that allows another program or system to be used more easily or in a different way. Overall, wrapper is a useful word because it describes both the physical act of enclosing something and the many layers through which a product, message, or piece of software reaches its user.
nounA covering, especially one made of paper, plastic, foil, or similar material, used to enclose, protect, or package an object; also, an outer covering or a person or system that performs a wrapping function.
- A piece of paper, plastic, foil, or similar material used to cover or enclose an object, especially a gift or food item.
- The outer covering or enclosure of an object, especially a package or food product.
- A person who wraps or packs goods for sale or shipment.
- In computing, a program or interface that provides access to another program or system.
"She carefully opened the wrapper to see whether the gift had been damaged in transit."
"The pharmacist checked the label on the wrapper before handing over the medicine."
"The software wrapper lets the new interface call the legacy database without rewriting it."
The regular plural is formed by adding -s; the plural is used for separate coverings or individual outer layers.
"The empty wrappers went into the recycling bin."
A wrapper can protect what it contains, reveal a brand, and turn an ordinary object into something that feels ready to be given or opened.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wrapper
Wrapper is an English formation built on the base wrap with the suffix -er, a productive ending that can identify an agent or an object associated with an action. The base wrap has Germanic roots connected with turning, folding, or bending. Related forms include wreath and wring, whose histories also involve twisting or turning.
How wrapper is actually used
In everyday British and American English, wrapper usually refers to a removable or disposable outer covering. It is more specific than packaging when referring to the individual material around an item. In computing, wrapper is a technical term for a layer that provides access to another program or system.
Easily confused with wrapper
A wrapper is something that encloses or protects an object, whereas a rapper is a person who performs spoken-word or rhythmic vocal music.