cellophane

C3E1L1L1O1P3H4A1N1E1
/ˈsɛləfeɪn/

noun

Any of a variety of transparent plastic films, especially one made of processed cellulose.

OriginEnglish diaphane ← Middle French diaphane ← Medieval Latin diaphanus →
Less commonScrabble 17
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Meanings

nouncellophane (countable and uncountable, plural cellophanes)

plural cellophanes

  1. countableuncountableAny of a variety of transparent plastic films, especially one made of processed cellulose.

    Cellophane flowers of yellow and green towering over your head

    1967, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, The Beatles (music)
verbcellophane (third-person singular simple present cellophanes, present participle cellophaning, simple past and past participle cellophaned)

present singular third person cellophanes · participle present cellophaning · participle past cellophaned · past cellophaned

  1. transitiveTo wrap or package in cellophane.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱel-
  2. Latincella
  3. Latincellula
  4. Frenchcellule
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
  7. Frenchcellulose
  8. Englishcellulose
  9. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  10. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  11. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
  12. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
  13. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ- (dĭă-)
  14. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  16. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  17. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  18. Ancient Greekδῐᾰφαίνω (dĭăphaínō)
  19. Ancient Greekδῐᾰφᾰνής (dĭăphănḗs)
  20. Medieval Latindiaphanus
  21. Middle Frenchdiaphane
  22. Englishdiaphane
  23. Englishcellophane

Genericized trademark. Blend of cellulose + diaphane.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic سِيلُوفَان
  • سِيلُوفَان (silufān)the transparent plastic film
Catalan cel·lofana
  • cel·lofanathe transparent plastic film
Chinese Mandarin 玻璃紙 /玻璃纸
  • 玻璃紙 /玻璃纸 (bōlizhǐ)the transparent plastic film
Czech celofán
  • celofánthe transparent plastic film
Danish cellofan
  • cellofanthe transparent plastic film
Finnish sellofaani
  • sellofaanithe transparent plastic film
French cellophane
  • cellophanethe transparent plastic film
German Cellophan, Zellglas
  • Cellophanthe transparent plastic film
  • Zellglasthe transparent plastic film
Greek σελοφάν
  • σελοφάν (selofán)the transparent plastic film
Hindi पन्नी, सिलोफ़न
  • पन्नी (pannī)the transparent plastic film
  • सिलोफ़न (silofan)the transparent plastic film
Hungarian celofán
  • celofánthe transparent plastic film
Indonesian selofan
  • selofanthe transparent plastic film
Italian cellofan
  • cellofanthe transparent plastic film
Japanese セロファン, セロハン
  • セロファン (serofan)the transparent plastic film
  • セロハン (serohan)the transparent plastic film
Korean 셀로판
  • 셀로판 (sellopan)the transparent plastic film
Malay selofan
  • selofanthe transparent plastic film
Māori takai kōataata
  • takai kōataatathe transparent plastic film
Polish celofan
  • celofanthe transparent plastic film
Portuguese celofane
  • celofanethe transparent plastic film
Romanian celofan
  • celofanthe transparent plastic film
Russian целлофа́н
  • целлофа́н (cellofán)the transparent plastic film
Spanish celofán, celo
  • celofánthe transparent plastic film
  • celothe transparent plastic film
Swedish cellofan
  • cellofanthe transparent plastic film
Tagalog selopin
  • selopinthe transparent plastic film
Thai กระดาษแก้ว, เซลโลเฟน
  • กระดาษแก้ว (grà-dàat-gɛ̂ɛo)the transparent plastic film
  • เซลโลเฟนthe transparent plastic film
Turkish selofan
  • selofanthe transparent plastic film
Cite this entry
APA

cellophane. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cellophane

MLA

“cellophane.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cellophane. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cellophane,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cellophane.

Source: cellophane on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.