blanket

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(blăng'kĭt) pronunciation
n.
  1. A large piece of woven material used as a covering for warmth, especially on a bed.
  2. A layer that covers or encloses: a thick blanket of snow.
adj.
  1. Applying to or covering all conditions or instances: a blanket insurance policy.
  2. Applying to or covering all members of a class: blanket sanctions against human-rights violators.
tr.v., -ket·ed, -ket·ing, -kets.
  1. To cover with or as if with a blanket: leaves that blanket the ground.
  2. To cover so as to inhibit, suppress, or extinguish: blanketed the grease fire with sand.
  3. To apply to generally and uniformly without exception: high telephone service charges that blanketed our region.

[Middle English, from Old French, an unbleached soft cloth, from blanc, white, of Germanic origin.]


Rubber-coated fabric blanket used in offset printing that is wrapped around a cylinder and transfers the print image from the plate cylinder to paper.

Covering two or more properties.


Example: A blanket mortgage or blanket insurance policy or blanket deed includes more than one parcel of real estate.

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verb

    To extend over the surface of: cap, cover, overlay, spread. See put on/take off.


adj

Definition: comprehensive
Antonyms: incomplete, incomprehensive

v

Definition: cover
Antonyms: lay bare, uncover

v. take wind from the sails of (another craft) by passing to windward.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

blanket, sheet, usually of heavy woolen, or partly woolen, cloth, for use as a shawl, bed covering, or horse covering. The blanketmaking of primitive people is one of the finest remaining examples of early domestic artwork. The blankets of Mysore, India, were famous for their fine, soft texture. The loom of the Native American, though simple in construction, can produce blankets so closely woven as to be waterproof. The Navaho, Zuñi, Hopi, and other Southwestern Native Americans are noted for their distinctive, firmly woven blankets. The Navahos produced beautifully designed blankets characterized by geometrical designs woven with yarns colored with vegetable dyes. During the mid-19th cent. the Navahos began to use yarns imported from Europe, because of their brighter colors. The ceremonial Chilcat blanket of the Tlingit of the Northwest, generally woven with a warp of cedar bark and wool and a weft of goats' hair, was curved and fringed at the lower end. In the 20th cent., the electric blanket, with electric wiring between layers of fabric, gained wide popularity.


Word Tutor:

blanket

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Bedding that keeps a person warm in bed; Anything that covers.

pronunciation His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. — Mark Twain

Tutor's tip: She wrapped a "blanket" (a covering) around the pot of "blanquette" (stew) to keep it warm while she carried it to a neighbor.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

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sign description: Both hands mimic pulling up a blanket over the body.




noun
noun

on the blanket applied to supporters of the Irish Republican cause held in the Maze prison (near Belfast) and elsewhere, who wore blankets instead of prison clothes as a protest against being treated as criminals rather than as political prisoners. (1977 —) .
M. Wallace The first prisoner had gone 'on the blanket' in September 1976, refusing to wear prison clothing (1982).



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A large area of color, usually over the back, neck and sides, in the coat of dogs.

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'blanket'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to blanket, see:
  • Linens and Fabrics - blanket: large, usu. oblong woven fabric used as bed covering for warmth


  See crossword solutions for the clue Blanket.
The Bed by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec depicts two people under a blanket

A blanket is a type of bedding, generally speaking, a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleeping. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket. Blankets are generally used for warmth, while sheets are for hygiene, comfort and aesthetics. Blankets are subdivided into many types, including quilts, duvets, and comforters, depending on their thickness, construction and/or fill material. Electric blankets are heated by electricity. Blankets were traditionally made of wool because of wool's warmth, breathability and natural fire-retardant properties, while sheets were made of cotton or linen, which are less irritating to the skin. Nowadays, synthetic fibers are frequently used for both. Throw blankets are smaller blankets, often in decorative colors and patterns, that can be used for extra warmth outside of bed. Blankets are sometimes used as comfort objects by small children.

Contents

Etymology

The term arose from the generalization of a specific fabric called Blanket fabric, a heavily napped woolen weave pioneered by Thomas Blanket (Blanquette), a Flemish weaver who lived in Bristol, England in the 14th century.[1][2][3] Earlier usage of the term is possible through its derivation from the French word for white, blanc.[4][5]

Uses

Ground cloth

A girl wearing a blanket over her head.

Blankets may also be used on the ground for a picnic or other places where people want to sit in a grassy or muddy area without soiling their clothing. Temporary blankets have been designed for this purpose, although their inherent wastefulness is a chief concern of several environmental groups.[citation needed]

Firefighting

Specialized blankets known as fire blankets may be used by firefighters to protect furnishings from water damage during firefighting. Firefighters often wear specialized variants of the fire blanket to protect themselves as well.

Moving household goods

Thick quilted and durable blankets are used as protective covers and cushioning when furnishings are moved.

Horse care

A warming coat for a horse is called a horse blanket, intended to prevent the development of a shaggy winter coat of hair. A small saddle blanket protects the horse's skin from chafing from the pressure points of a saddle.

Keeping heat within the body

To keep warmth inside the body, a blanket can be used to cover one's skin and keep the warmth in. Many kinds of blankets, such as wool are used because they are thicker and have more substantial fabric to them, but cotton can also be used for light blankets. The term blanket is often interchanged with comforter, quilt, and duvet, as they all have similar uses.

See also

References

External links

Media related to Blankets at Wikimedia Commons The Wiktionary entry for blanket


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Dansk (Danish)
n. - tæppe, plaid, dækken
adj. - almen, generel
v. tr. - dække

Nederlands (Dutch)
deken, deklaag, allesomvattend, voor alles geldig, geheel bedekken, (doen) verzwijgen, wind uit de zeilen nemen (letterlijk), mee doen tellen, op alles betrekken

Français (French)
n. - couverture, couche (de neige), manteau, nappe (de brouillard), nuage (de fumée)
adj. - global, général
v. tr. - recouvrir, envelopper, étouffer, assourdir, (Naut) déventer

Deutsch (German)
n. - Decke, (USA) Kleidungsstück der indianischen Bevölkerung, (übertr.) Decke (Schnee usw.)
adj. - generell, Pauschal-
v. - zudecken, ersticken, bedecken

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - κλινοσκέπασμα, κουβέρτα, κάλυμμα, παχύ στρώμα
v. - καλύπτω, σκεπάζω

Italiano (Italian)
coperta

idioms:

  • cotton blanket    coperta di cotone
  • wet blanket    guastafeste
  • woollen blanket    coperta di lana

Português (Portuguese)
n. - cobertor (m)
v. - cobrir com cobertor, impedir, obscurecer

idioms:

  • cotton blanket    cobertor de algodão
  • electric blanket    cobertor elétrico
  • wet blanket    desmancha-prazeres
  • woollen blanket    cobertor de lã

Русский (Russian)
одеяло, прикрыть

idioms:

  • cotton blanket    хлопчатобумажное одеяло, тонкое одеяло
  • electric blanket    одеяло с электрическим подогревом
  • wet blanket    портит настроение, слюнтяй, размазня
  • woollen blanket    шерстяное одеяло

Español (Spanish)
n. - manta, frazada
adj. - general, comprensiva
v. tr. - cubrir, mantear

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - filt, hästtäcke
v. - täcka, täcka med, omfatta

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
毛毯, 毯子, 总括的, 全体的, 没有限制的, 用毯覆盖, 掩盖

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 毛毯, 毯子
adj. - 總括的, 全體的, 沒有限制的
v. tr. - 用毯覆蓋, 掩蓋

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 담요
adj. - 총괄적인
v. tr. - ~을 담요로 싸다, ~을 온통 덮다, 방해하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 毛布, 一面に覆う…, ブランケット
v. - 一面に覆う, 毛布で覆う
adj. - 包括的な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) بطانيه (فعل) غطى, شمل, كتم‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮שמיכה, כיסוי, מעטה‬
adj. - ‮לכל מקרה, מקיף, כולל‬
v. tr. - ‮השתיק, העטה, כיסה‬


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