To wrap means to cover something by folding paper, cloth, or another material around it. People often wrap gifts, food, or bandages.
“Wrap” appeared in Middle English, probably from a Scandinavian root similar to Old Norse “vrapa,” meaning “to wind” or “to coil.” It has always carried the idea of folding or winding something around.
“Wrap” is part of a whole family of ‘around’ words—like “wrap,” “wraparound,” and even “rap” in the sense of something quickly hitting and enclosing. Every time you wrap a gift, you’re literally creating a tiny, closed world.
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