envelope
noun
en·ve·lope
| \ ˈen-və-ˌlōp
, ˈän-
\
, ˈän-
\
Definition of envelope
1
: a flat usually paper container (as for a letter)
3a
: the outer covering of an aerostat
b
: the bag containing the gas in a balloon or airship
4a
: a natural enclosing covering (such as a membrane, shell, or integument)
b
: a lipoprotein unit membrane that forms the outer layer of some virions
5a
: a curve tangent to each of a family of curves
b
: a surface tangent to each of a family of surfaces
6
: a set of performance limits (as of an aircraft) that may not be safely exceeded
also
: the set of operating parameters that exists within these limits
7
: a conventionally accepted limit
new computers that push the envelope
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Examples of envelope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the 1970s, innovative creators wanted to push the envelope of what popular genres like the sitcom could tackle politically. — Joanna Scutts, Curbed, "The shows we’ve lived by," 14 Aug. 2019 Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope to enable the district to return your season tickets to you. — Staff Report, Houston Chronicle, "Fort Bend ISD 2019 high school football season tickets go on sale in Aug. 12.," 26 July 2019 Food vendors in Ohio and elsewhere have pushed the envelope in recent years – deep fried Pepsi, anyone? – and 2019 brings dozens of new foods to the fair scene. — Jackie Borchardt, Cincinnati.com, "Pickle juice popsicles and Skyline Chili tater tots are a thing at the Ohio State Fair," 25 July 2019 But Warren’s proposal pushes the envelope on liberal immigration policy in a way that echoes Castro, who early in the cycle changed the national conversation from legalization to radically restricting enforcement. — Tara Golshan, Vox, "Elizabeth Warren’s immigration proposal goes much further than a pathway to citizenship," 12 July 2019 The Clippers brought out proactive owner Steve Ballmer, who spends money smartly and pushes the envelope daily. — Bill Plaschke, latimes.com, "Why did Lakers lose Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to Clippers? Their biggest weakness," 6 July 2019 The new observatories are pushing the envelope of computational power, requiring facilities capable of processing hundreds of terabytes per day. — Eileen Meyer, Smithsonian, "Big Data is Transforming How Astronomers Make Discoveries," 15 May 2018 Patients receive a test kit, supplied by their health care provider, that includes test supplies, mailing envelope and instructions on how to collect a stool sample and return it to a lab. — Julie Washington, cleveland.com, "Newer guidelines call for colonoscopies 5 years earlier, many insurances cover costs," 28 July 2019 Co-founded by Hathaway, the collective is comprised of socially conscious artists pushing the artistic envelope. — Gail Mitchell, Billboard, "Lalah Hathaway Curates L.A. Edition of Future x Sounds Series: Exclusive," 16 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'envelope.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for envelope
envelope
noun
English Language Learners Definition of envelope
: an enclosing cover for a letter, card, etc.
See the full definition for envelope in the English Language Learners Dictionary
envelope
noun
en·ve·lope
| \ ˈen-və-ˌlōp
, ˈän-\
, ˈän-\
Kids Definition of envelope
: a flat usually paper container (as for a letter)
envelope
noun
en·ve·lope
| \ ˈen-və-ˌlōp
, ˈän-
\
, ˈän-
\
Medical Definition of envelope
: a natural enclosing covering (as a membrane or integument)
especially
: a lipoprotein unit membrane that forms the outer layer of some virions and surrounds the viral capsid
These glycoprotein complexes, swept up by the budding virus as it acquires its envelope, are crucial to HIV's ability to infect new cells. — William A. Haseltine et al., Scientific American, October 1988