Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - wrap

(wraps, wrapping, wrapped) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. When you wrap something, you fold paper or cloth tightly round it to cover it completely, for example in order to protect it or so that you can give it to someone as a present. Harry had carefully bought and wrapped presents for Mark to give them... Mexican Indians used to wrap tough meat in leaves from the papaya tree. ? unwrap VERB: V n, V n in n • Wrap up means the same as wrap. Diana is taking the opportunity to wrap up the family presents. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), also V n P 2. Wrap is the material that something is wrapped in. I tucked some plastic wrap around the sandwiches to keep them from getting stale. ...gift wrap. N-UNCOUNT: usu supp N 3. When you wrap something such as a piece of paper or cloth round another thing, you put it around it. She wrapped a handkerchief around her bleeding palm... VERB: V n around/over n 4. If someone wraps their arms, fingers, or legs around something, they put them firmly around it. He wrapped his arms around her. VERB: V n around n 5. see also wrapping 6. If you keep something under wraps, you keep it secret, often until you are ready to announce it at some time in the future. The bids were submitted in May and were meant to have been kept under wraps until October... PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v