Unwrappen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To take the paper, foil or other covering off something so that its contents can be seen or used
2. Removing the outer packaging or covering that has been placed around an object
3. Stripping away the wrapper, cloth or casing that encloses a thing

Etymology: "Unwrappen" is a form of "unwrap" with the older "-en" ending that many English verbs took in Middle English, where it marked the infinitive or past participle. The form reads as archaic because that ending has largely disappeared from modern English. The prefix "un-" comes from Old English, where it reversed the action of a verb. It appears in similar pairs such as "undo" and "unfold," which likewise mean to reverse what the base verb does. In "unwrappen," the prefix removes the covering that the base verb puts on.