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apron

 
Dictionary: a·pron   (ā'prən) pronunciation
n.
    1. A garment, usually fastened in the back, worn over all or part of the front of the body to protect clothing.
    2. Something, such as a protective shield for a machine, that resembles this garment in appearance or function.
  1. The paved strip in front of and around airport hangars and terminal buildings.
  2. The part of a stage in a theater extending in front of the curtain.
  3. A platform, as of planking, at the entrance to a dock.
    1. A covering or structure along a shoreline for protection against erosion.
    2. A platform serving a similar purpose below a dam or in a sluiceway.
  4. A continuous conveyor belt.
  5. An area covered by sand and gravel deposited at the front of a glacial moraine.
  6. A border of slightly longer grass that surrounds a green on a golf course.
  7. The part of a boxing ring floor that extends beyond the ropes.
tr.v., a·proned, a·pron·ing, a·prons.
To cover, protect, or provide with an apron.

[Middle English, from an apron, alteration of a napron, from Old French naperon, diminutive of nape, tablecloth, from Latin mappa, napkin. See map.]


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Dental Dictionary: apron
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n

A piece of clothing worn in front of the body for protection.

A defined area, on an airfield, intended to accommodate aircraft for purposes of loading or unloading passengers or cargo, refueling, parking, or maintenance.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Architecture: apron
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1. A flat broad piece of finished lumber or trim placed directly under a windowsill.
2. A flat piece of wood mounted under the base of a cabinet.
3. Same as counterflashing.
4. Same as apron flashing.
5. Paneling on the exterior of a building which serves as a protection against weather or as a decorative feature.
6. That portion of a concrete slab which extends beyond the face of a building on adjacent ground, as the extension of a garage floor.
7. A vertical panel at the back of a sink or lavatory.
8. In a theater, that part of a stage which projects into the audience area beyond the proscenium and curtain line; a forestage.


1. the long hair under the neck and front of the chest seen in rough collie dogs.
2. large skin folds carried on the ventral neck of some strains of merino sheep.
3. a piece of leather suspended under the belly of a ram in front of the prepuce to prevent mating when the ram is used as a teaser.
4. the concrete slab placed in front of feeders in feedlots to reduce muddiness.

(DOD) A defined area on an airfield intended to accommodate aircraft for purposes of loading or unloading passengers or cargo, refueling, parking, or maintenance.

Word Tutor: apron
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: A garment of cloth worn to protect your clothing.

pronunciation If she hadn't worn her apron, she would have stained her dress.

Dream Symbol: Apron
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Aprons were formerly associated with certain masculine occupations such as blacksmithing, but in contemporary society they are almost always associated with the kitchen and the female domestic sphere: mother, home and cooking. Apron strings have the less positive connotations of being "tied" to the home, one's mother, or wife.


Wikipedia: Apron
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A full length apron

An apron is an outer protective garment that covers primarily the front of the body. It may be worn for hygienic reasons as well as in order to protect clothes from wear and tear. The apron is commonly part of the uniform of several work categories, including waitresses, nurses, and domestic workers. Many homemakers also wear them. It is also worn as a decorative garment by women. Aprons are also worn in many commercial establishments to protect workers clothes from damage, mainly bib aprons, but also others such as farrier aprons.

In addition to cloth, aprons can be made from a variety of materials. Rubber aprons are commonly used by persons working with dangerous chemicals, and lead aprons are commonly worn by persons such as X-ray technicians who work near radiation. Aprons, such as those used by carpenters, may have many pockets to hold tools. Waterproof household aprons, made of oilcloth or PVC are suitable for cooking and washing dishes.

The word apron is from the metanalysis of the term "a napron" as "an apron". The original spelling of napron has been lost.

Contents

Styles

There are many different apron forms depending on the purpose of the apron. A basic distinction is between waist aprons which cover the body from the waist down and a bib apron which also covers the upper part of the body.

An apron is usually held in place by two ribbon-like strips of cloth that are tied in the back. A bib apron may either have a strap in around the neck (perhaps the most widespread use today), or shoulder straps that criss-cross in the back and attach to the waistband. The advantage of the former design is that it makes it especially simple to put on the bib apron. The advantage of the shoulder strap design is that it makes the apron more comfortable to wear; a neck strap can slightly impair ease of movement.

Other types of aprons include the pinafore and the cobbler apron. There are also aprons that will cover the sleeves.

Some modern day aprons will have humorous expressions, designs or corporate logos.

Aprons in the home

Woman of the 1920's wearing a full-length house apron with criss-cross straps.

The apron was traditionally viewed as an essential garment for anyone doing housework. Cheaper clothes and washing machines made aprons less common beginning in the mid 1960s in some countries such as the United States. However, the practice of wearing aprons remains strong in many places.

Today, the apron has enjoyed a minor renaissance in terms of both women and men now wearing them when performing household chores. For instance, an article in the Wall Street Journal claimed in 2005 that the apron is "enjoying a renaissance as a retro-chic fashion accessory" in the United States[1]. However, it still is not as prevalent as it was prior to the 1960s.

Aprons are nowadays considered equally appropriate for both women and men by most people. However, prevailing social norms ensure that women frequently wear more delicate clothing, and may therefore be more likely to want the protection an apron offers. This can also be because the apron is the traditional clothing for cooking and washing dishes, things that are usually done by women. Since an apron can be used to protect your body while cooking, many people think that aprons should be used for any cook in the world.

When domestic workers are supplied a uniform by their employers, an apron is often included. The aprons are worn for hygienic as well as for identification purposes.

Clerical garment

The term "apron" also refers to an item of clerical clothing, now largely obsolete, worn by Anglican bishops and archdeacons. The clerical apron resembles a short cassock reaching just above the knee, and is coloured black for archdeacons and purple for bishops. The apron is worn with black gaiters, reaching to just below the knee, and knee-length black breeches worn with gaiters. The history behind the vesture is that it symbolically represents the mobility of bishops and archdeacons, who at one time would ride horses to visit various parts of a diocese or archdeaconry. In this sense, the apparel was much more practical than a clerical cassock would be. In latter years, this vesture was more symbolic than practical, and since the mid-twentieth century it has fallen out of favour.

See also

References

  1. ^ The apron ascends to costly kitchen couture, The Wall Street Journal, August 12, 2005

Misspellings: apron
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Common misspelling(s) of apron

  • apon

Translations: Apron
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - forklæde
v. tr. - tage forklæde på

idioms:

  • tied to someone's apron strings    hænge i sin mors skørter

Nederlands (Dutch)
schort, voortoneel, verharde deel van vliegveld (parkeerruimte), transportband, bescherming tegen erosie (betonlaag), uitgebreide afzetting van puin/ bezinksel

Français (French)
n. - tablier, (fig) jupe, (Aviat) aire de stationnement, (Tech) tablier, (Théât) avant-scène, (Phot) bande gaufrée
v. tr. - couvrir/protéger d'un tablier, mettre un tablier

idioms:

  • tied to someone's apron strings    être pendu aux jupes de qn

Deutsch (German)
n. - Schürze
v. - eine Schürze umbinden, umgeben

idioms:

  • tied to someone's apron strings    jdn. herumkommandieren, jdn. kontrollieren

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ποδιά, μπροστέλα, προσκήνιο (θεάτρου ή αμφιθεάτρου), χώρος στάθμευσης και φόρτωσης αεροσκαφών

idioms:

  • tied to someone's apron strings    κρεμασμένος από τα φουστάνια (π.χ. της μητέρας του)

Italiano (Italian)
grembiale, proscenio, nastro trasportatore

idioms:

  • apron strings    gonnelle materne

Português (Portuguese)
n. - avental (m), campo (m) de manobras (Aer.), boca (f) de cena (Teat.)

idioms:

  • tied to someone's apron strings    dominado pela mulher

Русский (Russian)
фартук

idioms:

  • tied to someone's apron strings    влияние матери (жены), делает по указам кого-л.

Español (Spanish)
n. - delantal, mandil
v. tr. - envolver como un delantal, poner un delantal

idioms:

  • tied to someone's apron strings    (fig) atado a las faldas de alguien

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - förkläde, skyddskåpa

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
围裙, 停机坪, 工作裙, 台口, 给...结上围裙, 用围裙覆盖

idioms:

  • tied to someone's apron strings    控制某人, 依赖某人

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 圍裙, 停機坪, 工作裙, 台口
v. tr. - 給...結上圍裙, 用圍裙覆蓋

idioms:

  • tied to someone's apron strings    控制某人, 依賴某人

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 에이프런(앞치마), 앞 무대, 포장된 광장
v. tr. - ~에 에이프런을 두르다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - エプロン, 駐機場, 張出舞台

idioms:

  • tied to someone's apron strings    言いなりになる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مئزر, مريله, وزره‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮סינר, סינור, משטח-מטוסים, קדמת-הבימה, מסוע אינסופי‬
v. tr. - ‮לבש סינר, צייד בסינר‬


 
 
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
US Military Dictionary. The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. Copyright © 2001, 2002 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Architecture. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Military Dictionary. US Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Words, 2003.  Read more
Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
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