noun
envelope
EHN-vuh-lohp
noun
1
A flat paper or cardboard cover used to hold and mail letters or documents.
"She sealed the invitation inside a cream-colored envelope."
2
The outer limits within which something, especially an aircraft or system, can safely operate.
"The test pilot pushed the plane's performance envelope to its limits."
verb
1
To wrap something up completely, enclosing it.
"Fog began to envelope the entire valley by nightfall."
How to Use Envelope
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA paper wrapper for a letter — or, more abstractly, the outer boundary of what's safely possible.
Common mistake
The verb meaning "to wrap or surround" is spelled "envelop," with no final E — "envelope" (with the E) is only the noun.
Easily confused with
envelop
Common pairings
push the envelope
seal an envelope
stamped envelope
Word Forms
enveloped past tense, envelopes plural, envelopes singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “envelope”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She sealed the invitation inside a cream-colored _____.
Etymology
From French enveloppe. The "safe operating limits" sense grew out of the aviation phrase "flight envelope."