Envelope

An envelope is a form of packing. Envelopes are used for sending letters or documents using regular postal mail. Envelopes are usually made of paper or hardened paper.

An envelope may be small enough to make you need to fold the paper going into it, or it can be as large as the paper so that you do not need to fold it. A large envelope is called a manila envelope, usually colored a color in between yellow and orange, and is used to send several pages of papers when a regular envelope would be too small. Another reason a manila envelope would be used would be to send important papers (e.g. birth certificates) that are better left unfolded.

To pay to send the mail, a stamp is usually attached to the envelope.

Envelope Media

Front of an envelope mailed in the U.S. in 1906, with a postage stamp and address
Back of the above envelope, showing an additional receiving post office postmark
Patent drawing of Americus Callahan's windowed envelope
A Japanese funeral envelope used for offering condolence money. The white and black cords represent death. Similar-looking envelopes with red and silver cords are used for weddings.
Tablet and its sealed envelope: employment contract. Girsu, Sumer, c. 2037 BC. Terra cotta. Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.
Red envelopes are an example of paper envelopes. They are used for monetary gifts.
Reverse of envelope (possibly machine-cut) stamped 1841
Front of an envelope mailed in 1841. Stamp from 1841 on backside. Possibly machine cut.
Envelope with advertising from 1905 used in the U.S.
Envelope-making machines at the Post Office Savings Bank, Blythe House, West Kensington, London

Related pages

Other websites

The dictionary definition of envelope at Wiktionary

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