blanket

Meaning

Noun

1. A heavy, loosely woven fabric, usually large and woollen, used for warmth while sleeping or resting.
2. A covering layer of anything.
3. A thick rubber mat used in the offset printing process to transfer ink from the plate to the paper being printed.
4. A streak or layer of blubber in whales.

Adj

General; covering or encompassing everything.

Verb

1. (attributive, transitive) To cover with, or as if with, a blanket.
2. (attributive, transitive) To traverse or complete thoroughly.
3. (attributive, transitive) To toss in a blanket by way of punishment.
4. (attributive, transitive) To take the wind out of the sails of (another vessel) by sailing to windward of it.
5. (attributive, transitive) To nullify the impact of (someone or something).
6. (attributive) Of a radio signal: to override or block out another radio signal.

Synonyms

cover

quilt

coverlet

covering

robe

rug

carpet

mantle

shawl

cloak

cloth

shroud

woollen cloth

bedspread

bed covering

clothe

wide

wrapper

shell

🐚

smother

panoptic

jacket

broad

flag

felt

sheet

overlay

across-the-board

coat

🧥

all-encompassing

throw

encompassing

swag

veil

duvet

screen

cap

all-embracing

horsecloth

lid

hood

coverage

extensive

all-inclusive

muffle

spread

cope

conceal

block out

comprehensive

Translations

couverture

coperta

Decke

manta

deken

frazada

cobertor

coltre

cobija

Bettdecke

κουβέρτα

manta

copriletto

mantello

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈblæŋkɪt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: blanket

Cognate with French: blanchet

Cognate with Old English: blanca

Cognate with Old Norse: hvítill

In summary

From Middle English blanket, blonket, blaunket, from Old Northern French blanket, blancet (“white horse", also "white woollen cloth or flannel; a type of jacket”, literally “that which is white”) (whence Modern French blanchet), diminutive of blanc (“white”), of Germanic origin (compare Old English blanca (“white horse”); see more at blank). Furthermore, the sense "white woollen cloth" is likely a calque of Old English hwītel (“blanket; cloak, mantle”), from Old English hwīt (“white”) + -el (diminutive suffix). Compare also Old Norse hvítill (“a white bed-cover, sheet”), Norwegian kvitel (“blanket”).
Compare also blunket, plunket. Displaced native Middle English whytel, from Old English hwītel (whence Modern English whittle (“blanket, cloak, shawl”)).