Jacketing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of applying a protective or decorative outer layer to an object ; enclosing something with a layer for insulation, protection, or containment
2. Covering an item with a shell or casing to guard or embellish it ; wrapping or encasing an object to insulate or contain it effectively
3. Adding a jacket or outer covering to equipment to protect or decorate it ; surrounding an element with a material layer to maintain temperature or provide a barrier

Etymology: "Jacketing" is simply the -ing form of the verb "to jacket," so its story is really the story of "jacket." That noun comes from Middle French "jacquet," a diminutive of Old French "jaque," meaning a short tunic or coat. The diminutive ending makes it a little garment, a smaller version of the "jaque," which itself traces back to the common medieval name "Jacques" (James), a name that lent its sound to many everyday words for working clothes. Over time the garment shrank into the modern jacket, and the noun was extended from clothing to anything that wraps around something else: the outer skin of a book, the cover of a potato when it is baked, or the sleeve around a pipe or cable. From that sense the verb developed, so to jacket something means to surround it with a protective or insulating layer. The verb keeps the physical sense of putting on a coat, now applied to machinery, wiring and walls.

Synonyms: coating, covering, wrapping, enveloping, sheathing

Antonyms: exposing, revealing, uncovering, bare, stripping