ENVELOPE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does envelope mean? 

• ENVELOPE (noun)
  The noun ENVELOPE has 6 senses:

1. a flat rectangular paper container for papers
2. any wrapper or covering
3. a curve that is tangent to each of a family of curves
4. a natural covering (as by a fluid)
5. the maximum operating capability of a system
6. the bag containing the gas in a balloon

  Familiarity information: ENVELOPE used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ENVELOPE (noun)

Meaning:

A flat rectangular paper container for papers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("envelope" is a kind of...):

container (any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "envelope"):

window envelope (an envelope with a transparent panel that reveals the address on the enclosure)

Meaning:

Any wrapper or covering

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("envelope" is a kind of...):

wrap; wrapper; wrapping (the covering (usually paper or cellophane) in which something is wrapped)

Meaning:

A curve that is tangent to each of a family of curves

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Hypernyms ("envelope" is a kind of...):

curve; curved shape (the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes)

Meaning:

A natural covering (as by a fluid)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Context example:

the spacecraft detected an envelope of gas around the comet

Hypernyms ("envelope" is a kind of...):

cover; covering; natural covering (a natural object that covers or envelops)

Meaning:

The maximum operating capability of a system

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

test pilots try to push the envelope

Hypernyms ("envelope" is a kind of...):

operating capability; performance capability (the capability of a technological system to perform as intended)

Meaning:

The bag containing the gas in a balloon

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

gasbag; envelope

Hypernyms ("envelope" is a kind of...):

bag (a flexible container with a single opening)

Holonyms ("envelope" is a part of...):

balloon (large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air)