blanket

noun · adjective · verb

Simple meaning

A covering layer of anything.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

blangkuht

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice

IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈblæŋkət

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

A covering layer of anything.
“There was a blanket of snow.”
A heavy, loosely woven fabric, usually large and woollen, used for warmth while sleeping or resting.
A streak or layer of blubber in whales.

adjective

General; covering or encompassing everything.

verb

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

Word at a Glance

Difficulty: B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency: Moderately Common
Typical Use: General and technical use

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: A covering layer of anything.

Used this way, blanket is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Heard in a sentence

“There was a blanket of snow.”

Emotional tone: Neutral
Formality: Neutral
Intensity: Not strongly marked
How common: Common
Connotation: Matter-of-fact
Usage feel: Neutral and straightforward

Usage note

It most often appears in the pattern “blanket of …”, which is worth copying when you use it.

Natural pattern: blanket of …

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use blanket

“There was a blanket of snow.”noun

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Heavy

wool blanket

Bedding

warm blanket

Other combinations

wet blanketwhite blanketthick blanketred blanket

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

blanket flowernounCompound term
Annual of central United States having showy long-stalked yellow flower heads marked with scarlet or purple in the center.
blanket jamverbCompound term
Jam a broad spectrum of frequencies to affect all communications in the area except for directional antenna communications.
blanket stitchnounCompound term
A strong reinforcing stitch for edges of blanket and other thick material.
electric blanketnounCompound term
A blanket containing and electric heating element that can be controlled to the desired temperature by a rheostat.
horse blanketnounCompound term
Stable gear consisting of a blanket placed under the saddle.
indian blanketnounCompound term
Annual of central United States having showy long-stalked yellow flower heads marked with scarlet or purple in the center.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: covering layer of anything

mantle

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.