wrapper

American  

[rap-er] / ˈræp ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that wraps.

2. a covering or cover.

3. a long, loose outer garment.

4. a loose bathrobe; negligee.

5. British. book jacket.

6. the tobacco leaf used for covering a cigar.

7. Armor. a supplementary beaver reinforcing the chin and mouth area of an armet of the 15th century.

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wrapper British  

/ ˈræpə /

noun

1. the cover, usually of paper or cellophane, in which something is wrapped

2. a dust jacket of a book

3. the ripe firm tobacco leaf forming the outermost portion of a cigar and wound around its body

4. a loose negligee or dressing gown, esp in the 19th century

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Etymology

Origin of wrapper

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; wrap, -er ¹

Explanation

A wrapper is any kind of loose cover that encloses something that's for sale. The brightly colored paper that covers your candy bar is a wrapper. If you wrap something in foil or plastic to sell it, you've made a wrapper. Many wrappers are factory-made and sealed, like the wrapper on your ice cream bar, while others protect your fast-food burger or deli sandwich. In some places, people call a dressing gown or robe a wrapper too. No matter how you use the word, a wrapper wraps something. Its earliest use, in the 15th century, was as "a piece of fine cloth used to wrap bread."

Example Sentences

“You’ve got people coming in and doing things with the ETF wrapper that were probably not foreseen in any way.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

It was a mystery solved through research, hard work - and a chocolate wrapper more than 40 years old.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

While lonvo-z uses the same lipid nanoparticle wrapper as nex-z, it targets a different gene.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

In short: It’s the same underlying asset, but with a new digital wrapper that should make it easier to buy, sell and track in real time.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 15, 2025

Mama adjusted her wrapper before she patted his back.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• casing
• envelope