Encapsulate

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɪnˈkæps(j)ÊŠËŒleɪt/

Alternative forms

• incapsulate

Origin

From - + capsule + -.

Full definition of encapsulate

Verb

1. (transitive) To enclose something as if in a capsule.
• 2014 Feb. 9, Matthew L. Wald, "Nuclear Waste Solution Seen in Desert Salt Beds," New York Times (retrieved 14 June 2014)At a rate of six inches a year, the salt closes in on the waste and encapsulates it for what engineers say will be millions of years.
2. (transitive) To epitomize something by expressing it as a brief summary.
• 21 January 2014, Hermione Hoby, Julia Roberts interview for August, It's a little moment that seems to encapsulate her appeal ...
3. (software, object-oriented) To enclose objects in a common interface in a way that makes them interchangeable, and guards their states from invalid changes.
4. (networking) To enclose data in packets that can be transmitted using a given protocol.

Derived terms

• encapsulation