shrink-wrap

[ shringk-rap ]

verb (used with object)

, shrink-wrapped, shrink-wrap·ping.

1. to wrap and seal (a book, a food product, etc.) in a flexible film of plastic that, when exposed to a heating process, shrinks to the contour of the merchandise.

noun

1. the plastic film used to shrink-wrap something.

shrink-wrap

verb

1. tr to package (a product) in a flexible plastic wrapping designed to shrink about its contours to protect and seal it

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrink-wrap¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

A brand to me is more than a word or logo on shrink-wrap; it is the passion, sweat and culture of people who give their best to burnish it from generation to generation.

From Washington Post

Fiction, that slippery, transparent shrink-wrap of artifice pulled taut across reality, is running the show.

From Los Angeles Times

The scaffolding went up first, then in May last year, the shrink-wrap followed.

From BBC

Many still package their bottles with common shrink-wrap seals, despite the ease with which such closures can be faked.

From New York Times

He stoops to pick up a long tail of shrink-wrap off the factory floor, glowers a bit.

From Washington Post