Word.ws English Dictionary

underwrap

underwrap noun: a lightweight foam that is applied to the skin to reduce irritation before wrapping with supportive tape.

Noun

underwrap (plural underwraps)

  1. A lightweight foam that is applied to the skin to reduce irritation before wrapping with supportive tape.
    • Tape removal is done using specialized scissors or tape-cutting devices designed to slip under the tape and underwrap, and quickly slice through it with no irritation to the athlete.2010, Robert C France, Introduction to Sports Medicine and Athletic Training, →ISBN, page 230
    • Because the knee is a large joint, taping requires expertise. Underwrap should not be used, because adequate traction to support the joint can only be achieved by taping directly to the skin.2011, Paul S. Auerbach, Wilderness Medicine, →ISBN, page 365
  2. A sheath that surrounds a limb and which is used under a cast.
    • Stockingette and Tubigrip are used between the skin and the underwrap material before the plaster bandage is applied.1993, Peter Thomson, Introduction to Podopaediatrics, page 263
    • The two materials commonly used to make casts are plaster of Paris and synthetic casting, which is sometimes used with a Gore-tex underwrap.1996, Australian Family Physician, page 1385
  3. The portion of a garment that is overlapped by another portion, such as the hidden part of a wrap skirt or the edge that holds buttons which is hidden when a garment is buttoned up.
    • Buttons used with the horizontal buttonholes are sewn on the underwrap in line with the buttonhole and exactly on the centre front or back line (diag 20).1973, Lorraine Kloppman, Woman's Day book of sewing, →ISBN, page 58
    • The best wrap skirt is a faux wrap; designed to include the top third of the underwrap (the skirt panel closest to you) in the side seam.2000, Sandra Betzina, Power Sewing Step-by-step, →ISBN, page 104
  4. An optional wrap that goes under the guide wrap on a fishing rod.
    • Begin with an underwrap that's necessary to hold the diamond pattern in place.1986, Jim Mayes, How to Make and Repair Your Own Fishing Tackle
    • Underwraps are made using exactly the same techniques as guide wraps, except that no guide is wrapped down. An underwrap is usually a plain continuous wrap, although decorative wraps to make the center ring of the guide or to dress up the end are also possible, just as they are on any guide wrap.2013, C. Boyd Pfeiffer, Complete Book of Rod Building and Tackle Making, →ISBN, page 480
  5. An undergarment that consists of a cloth wrapped around the body.
    • An ideal gift of cloth during a family ceremony would be strip woven cloth underwraps, or ser-u-rabb.- 2009, M. Diouf, M. Leichtman, New Perspectives on Islam in Senegal, →ISBN
    • ...and naming ceremonies provided women with the opportunity to make visible what was ordinarily not seen: the expanse of their social network, which was quantified by the amount and length of the cloth underwraps and boubous that they received; and their hidden stores of cloth wealth, which were...2012, Beth Anne Buggenhagen, Muslim Families in Global Senegal, →ISBN, page 206

Verb

underwrap (third-person singular simple present underwraps, present participle underwrapping, simple past and past participle underwrapped)

  1. To provide with an underwrap.
    • To make the rod “look better,” he underwrapped all the guides and finished them off with fancy, spiral windings and 3 heavy coats of varnish.1956, Florida Wildlife - Volumes 10-11, page 78
    • When underwrapping, always make the underwrap a lighter color thread than the guide wrapping, since a dark underwrap could show through a lighter overwrap.1984, Mark Thiffault, Fishermen's digest, →ISBN, page 120
  2. To provide with a wrapping that will subsequently be covered or wrapped by something else.
    • Sharp or irregular shaped parts should be underwrapped with a grade A material to cushion against puncture.1945, William C Farmer, Ordnance Field Guide: Restricted - Volume 3, page 508
    • Wrappings are underwrapped and overwrapped to a mirror-like finish.1955, The Fisherman - Volume 6, page 111
  3. To wrap the underside of something.
    • In M. dekayi the under face of suspensorium is underwrapped by prootic, by the exoccipital in missuriensis.1869, Edward Drinker Cope, Synopsis of the Extinct Batrachia, Reptilia and Aves of North America
    • Full spinal flexion results; the perineum is brought into a downward facing position underwrapped by the tail.1961, Behavior - Volumes 18-19, page 12
  4. To underlap.
    • The rails are formed at their ends to underwrap each other, as (f f.)1833, Floricultural Cabinet and Florists' Magazine, page 85
    • Floor joists at points of entry into brickwork are underwrapped giving 100 per cent protection.1967, The Municipal Year Book and Public Services Directory, page 47
  5. To wrap such that the wrapping does not go all the way to the edge.
    • These flaws can include a reed being overwrapped (wrapped past the end of the staple), underwrapped (not wrapped the full length of the staple), or slipped incorrectly (the blades of cane not meeting properly especially if one blade is completely inside the other blade); the cane being crooked on...2013, Jacqueline Leclair, Oboe Secrets, →ISBN
  6. To provide with insufficient wrappings.
    • Personally, we feel that overwrapping is more harmful than underwrapping in measles as well as in many other conditions.1935, The Hahnemannian Monthly - Volume 70, page 386

Examples of underwrap in a sentence

  • Place a strip of underwrap around the upper arm (a), keeping the biceps tense, and a strip of underwrap from the scapula to the chest (b).2012, Anne Keil, Strap Taping for Sports and Rehabilitation, →ISBN, page 120:
  • A waterproof underwrap is available that enables the athlete to bathe without the need to protect the cast.2011, Peter Brukner, Karim Khan, Brukner & Khan's Clinical Sports Medicine, →ISBN, page 166:
  • When finished with a waistband, an underwrap can be created with a hook fastening or button and buttonhole.2008, Annete Fischer, Basics Fashion Design 03: Construction, →ISBN, page 170:
  • Determine the length of the trim band (extended underwrap) you want on each end of the wraps.2013, Dale P. Clemens, Advanced Custom Rod Building, →ISBN:

Forms of underwrap

Noun
pluralunderwraps
Verb
third-person singular presentunderwraps
present participleunderwrapping
past participleunderwrapped
pastunderwrapped

Origin of underwrap

From under- + wrap.

Questions about underwrap

What does underwrap mean?
Underwrap means a lightweight foam that is applied to the skin to reduce irritation before wrapping with supportive tape.
How do you use underwrap in a sentence?
Place a strip of underwrap around the upper arm (a), keeping the biceps tense, and a strip of underwrap from the scapula to the chest (b).
What part of speech is underwrap?
Underwrap can be a noun or a verb.
What is the plural of underwrap?
The plural of underwrap is underwraps.

Words near underwrap in the dictionary

  1. underworldling
  2. underworldly
  3. underworlds
  4. underworn
  5. underwound
  6. underwrap
  7. underwrapped
  8. underwrapping
  9. underwrappings
  10. underwraps
  11. underwrit

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: underwrap (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-underwrap.wav.

Cite this entry: “underwrap.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/underwrap. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.