cellophane

noun

cel·​lo·​phane ˈse-lə-ˌfān How to pronounce cellophane (audio)
: regenerated cellulose in thin transparent sheets used especially for packaging

Examples of cellophane in a Sentence

He wrapped the gift basket in cellophane.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Her first hit item was a baby rattle shaped like a chicken drumstick that was sold wrapped in cellophane, much like a meat-counter purchase. — Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 The banknotes, which were wrapped in cellophane and stacked in neat rows under floor and wall tiles and in hidden drawers in wardrobe closets, were carried out in plastic mop buckets and placed in an armored vehicle. — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 In the 1980s, the plant moved 60 miles to its current location in Fredericksburg, inside a spacious brick building that once held a cellophane factory. — Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026 Here was this fit, so daring and so specific, that clung to the curves of our legs like cellophane. — Jane Herman, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cellophane

Word History

Etymology

French, from cellulose + -phane (as in diaphane diaphanous, from Medieval Latin diaphanus)

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cellophane was in 1912

Phrases Containing cellophane

Rhymes for cellophane

See All Rhymes for cellophane

Browse Nearby Words

celloidin
cellophane
cellophane noodle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cellophane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellophane. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cellophane

noun
cel·​lo·​phane ˈsel-ə-ˌfān How to pronounce cellophane (audio)
: a thin transparent material made from cellulose and used as a wrapping

More from Merriam-Webster on cellophane

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cellophane

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