noun🔗ShareA paper or cardboard wrapper used to enclose small, flat items, especially letters, for mailing."My sister used brightly colored envelopes to mail her thank-you notes to her friends. "stationerycommunicationChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareSomething that envelops; a wrapping."She stacked the envelopes before putting the letters inside. "stationerymaterialChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareA bag containing the lifting gas of a balloon or airship; fabric that encloses the gas-bags of an airship."The engineers carefully inspected the airship's envelopes for any leaks before the flight. "vehiclenauticaltechnicalmachinepartChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareA mathematical curve, surface, or higher-dimensional object that is the tangent to a given family of lines, curves, surfaces, or higher-dimensional objects."The light trails from many fireflies, when viewed together, appear to define envelopes that trace the shape of the bushes they surround. "mathtechnicalChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareA curve that bounds another curve or set of curves, as the modulation envelope of an amplitude-modulated carrier wave in electronics."The technician studied the envelopes of the radio signals, searching for any sudden changes in amplitude. "electronicstechnologyphysicsmathtechnicalsignalChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareThe shape of a sound, which may be controlled by a synthesizer or sampler."The synthesizer allows you to adjust the envelopes of the drum sounds, making them short and punchy or long and sustained. "musicsoundelectronicstechnologysignalChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareThe information used for routing a message that is transmitted with the message but not part of its contents."The email envelopes contain addressing and security information the system needs to deliver the message, but the recipient only sees the actual email content. "communicationtechnologyinternetcomputingsignalChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareAn enclosing structure or cover, such as a membrane; a space between two membranes"The virus has protein envelopes that help it enter cells. "anatomybiologymedicinestructureChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareThe set of limitations within which a technological system can perform safely and effectively."The safety envelopes for the new amusement park ride clearly state the maximum height and weight allowed for each passenger. "technologysystemtechnicalChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareThe nebulous covering of the head or nucleus of a comet; a coma."Through the telescope, the comet's envelopes, glowing faintly, expanded as it approached the sun. "astronomyspaceChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun🔗ShareAn earthwork in the form of a single parapet or a small rampart, sometimes raised in the ditch and sometimes beyond it."Because the attack came from multiple directions, the defenders built envelopes around the outer fort, creating additional layers of protection. "militaryarchitectureChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading