envelop

Etymology

From Middle English envolupen, from Old French anveloper, envoluper (modern French envelopper), from en- + voloper, vloper (“to wrap, wrap up”) (compare Italian -viluppare; Old Italian alternate form goluppare (“to wrap”)) from Vulgar Latin *vuloppare (“to wrap”), from Proto-Germanic *wlappaną, *wrappaną (“to wrap, roll up, turn, wind”), from Proto-Indo-European *werb- (“to turn, bend”) http://www.wordnik.com/words/envelop. Akin to Middle English wlappen (“to wrap, fold”) (Modern English lap (“to wrap, involve, fold”)), Middle English wrappen (“to wrap”), Middle Dutch lappen (“to wrap up, embrace”), Danish dialectal vravle (“to wind, twist”), Middle Low German wrempen (“to wrinkle, distort”), Old English wearp (“warp”). Doublet of enwrap.

verb

  1. (transitive) To surround or enclose.
    The Midlanders will hope the victory will kickstart a campaign that looked to have hit the buffers, but the sense of trepidation enveloping the Reebok Stadium heading into the new year underlines the seriousness of the predicament facing Owen Coyle's men. December 10, 2011, Marc Higginson, “Bolton 1 - 2 Aston Villa”, in BBC Sport
    Then we trundle along a railway enveloped in trees for much of its route, before the river widens, allowing unobstructed views as the line hugs one bank before arriving at Looe, where the single platform is just long enough to fit a two-car Class 150. November 16 2022, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 52

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