v. Forms: α. 4–5 envolupe(n, -ipe(n, 7–8 envellop, 6– envelop(e. β. 6 involup, 7–8 invellop(e, 6–8 invelop(e. [a. OF. envolupe-r, enveloper (mod. envelopper) Pr. envolupar, envelopar, f. en- (see EN-1) + *volup-, *velop-, cogn. with It. viluppo bundle, whence inviluppare to envelope. Cf. DEVELOP, VOLUPERE.
The Romanic base volup-, vilup- is of obscure origin; some regard it as Teut., comparing ME. wlappen to LAP, wrap, which, however, is not known outside Eng., and is by Prof. Skeat regarded as an altered form of wrap. Diez suggested that a late L. *volutuāre (f. volvĕre to roll) became *voluppāre, but the analogies offered for this phonetic process are unsatisfactory.]
1. trans. To wrap up in, or as in, a garment or outer covering. Also fig.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pard. T., 614. For he is most envoliped in synne.
1406. Hoccleve, Misrule, 245. If that yee been envolupid in cryme.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. iii. 67. With ane grene branche of tre He did involup and aray his heid.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 93. Eares so large, that they invelope their whole bodies with them.
1809. Pinkney, Trav. France, 216. In digging a vault a body was discovered enveloped in a long robe.
1875. Lyell, Princ. Geol. (ed. 12), II. III. xl. 377. They had been packed up in a box, and enveloped in cotton.
b. To serve as a wrapping or case for. Also fig.
1595. Shaks., Hen. V., I. i. 31. Leauing his body as a Paradise T’inuelop and containe Celestiall Spirits.
1737. Glover, Leonidas, VII. 264/448 (R.). The silken plumes Of sleep envelop his extended limbs.
1797. M. Baillie, Morb. Anat. (1807), 357. The cellular membrane, which envelopes the vessels of the spermatic chord.
1830. R. Knox, trans. Béclard’s Anat., 116. These membranes … were long confounded … with the organs which they envelope.
1834. McMurtrie, Cuvier’s Anim. Kingd., 235. Their [Cephalopoda] mantle unites under the body, forming a muscular sac which envelopes all the viscera.
1870. H. Macmillan, Bible Teach., viii. 152. His body must be enveloped by the earth, as his soul is enveloped by the body.
2. To wrap, cover closely on all sides with a surrounding medium (e.g., clouds, darkness, flames, an atmosphere, etc.). Const. in, with. Also with the surrounding medium as subject.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. xii. 34. Suddenly a grosse fog overspred … And heavens chearefull face enveloped.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., IV. ii. 77. The best, and wholsomst spirits of the night, Inuellop you, good Prouost.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., 503. Gleams and Raies of inaccessible Light and Glory envelop His Body.
1675. Cocker, Morals, 41. Our chearin Sun, our Glory and Delight, Are soon inveloped in shades of Night.
1700. Dryden, Fables, Pal. & Arc., 1863. A cloud of smoke envellops either host.
1762. Dunn, in Phil. Trans., LII. 471. They are so invelloped in vapours, as to be undiscernible.
1791. Cowper, Iliad, XVII. 716. Jove with storms Enveloped Ida.
1800. trans. Lagrange’s Chem., I. 58. The azote which is disengaged, envelops the carbon.
1847. Illustr. Lond. News, 10 July, 19/3. Mr. Huntley’s property was enveloped in one broad sheet of flame.
1847. L. Hunt, Jar Honey, ii. (1848), 15. One of these cliffs towers to such a height, that its summit is for ever enveloped in clouds.
fig. 1474. Caxton, Chesse, 109. The thought is enuoluped in obscurete.
1670. Cotton, Espernon, I. II. 64. The extreme danger they saw themselves envellop’d in.
1670. Moral State Eng., 137. When we cloud our Reason, and envelope it in mists.
1837. Disraeli, Venetia, II. i. (1871), 105. What mystery was this that enveloped that great tie?
1846. Sir W. Hamilton, Dissert., in Reid’s Wks., 752/1. The peasant employs all the principles of abstract philosophy, only inveloped, latent, engaged.
† 3. catachr. a. ‘To line; to cover on the inside’ (J.). b. Of a body of men: To surround.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. vii. 4. His yron cote, all overgrowne with rust, Was underneath enveloped with gold.
1683. Temple, Mem., Wks. 1731, I. 388. The Prince of Orange … was at first envelop’d by his own flying Men.
Hence Enveloped ppl. a. (in senses of the vb.; in quot. fig.), enshrouded, darkened. Enveloper, one who envelops or wraps up. Enveloping vbl. sb., the action of the vb. ENVELOP; also concr. a wrapping; an enclosing membrane.
1607. Walkington, Opt. Glass, 11. The inueloped and deformed night of ignorance.
1883. Clodd, in Knowledge, 15 June, 353/1. The rain-clouds are imprisoned in dungeons or caverns by Vritra the ‘Enveloper.’
1693. J. Beaumont, On Burnet’s Th. Earth, I. 52. The envelopings also with which the Infant is encompast, being very thin.
1831. R. Knox, trans. Cloguet’s Anat., 239. The Enveloping Aponeuroses vary much in their thickness.
1879. G. Prescott, Sp. Telephone, 132. Magnetization … impressed upon a soft iron rod by the action of an enveloping helix.
1882. Vines, Sachs’ Bot., 702. Salts … present in solution in the enveloping strata of water.
