a large, rectangular piece of soft fabric, often with bound edges, used especially for warmth as a bed covering.
a similar piece of fabric used as a covering for a horse, dog, etc.
the chief garment traditionally worn by some American Indians.
any extended covering or layer: a blanket of snow.
Printing.
(in a press for offset printing) the rubber-covered cylinder to which an inked impression is transferred from the plate for transfer directly to the paper.
(in a press for letterpress printing) the resilient covering on the cylinder against which the paper is pressed in printing.
a thick roll or strip of material for thermal insulation.
verb (used with object)
to cover with or as with a blanket: wild flowers blanketing the hillside.
to obscure or obstruct; interfere with; overpower (usually followed by out): An electrical storm blanketed out the radio program.
to toss (someone) in a blanket, as in fraternity hazing.
Nautical. (of a vessel) to take wind from the sails of (another vessel) by passing closely to windward.
adjective
covering or intended to cover a large group or class of things, conditions, situations, etc.: a blanket proposal; a blanket indictment.
Idioms for blanket
born on the wrong side of the blanket, born out of wedlock.
Origin of blanket
1250–1300; Middle English <Anglo-French, Old French, equivalent to blanc white (see blank) + -et-et
Among the 160 items, you’ll get a CPR mask, metal tweezer, eye wash, emergency blanket, knuckle adhesive bandages, and plenty of cotton tip applicators.
The best first aid kits for staying safe and prepared|PopSci Commerce Team|September 4, 2020|Popular Science
Whereas something like Starlink seeks to blanket the planet with many more satellites orbiting at a closer distance, satellites in higher orbits have a larger communications footprint, meaning each can cover more of the Earth.
In recent years, artists have begun asserting clauses that exclude the use of songs at political rallies from the blanket licensing regimes.
Trump and ‘Hallelujah’: Why it’s so hard to stop campaigns from playing songs, even when artists object|Jeff|August 31, 2020|Fortune
After running on an extreme sleep deficit for several pandemic months in a row, I decided to give in to the weighted blanket craze and did hours of research on which one was the right fit for me.
The best things I bought in August|Rachel Schallom|August 30, 2020|Fortune
So, a blanket statement of just quarantine might not be enough to keep potential carriers in lockdown.
The CDC’s new COVID-19 testing guidelines could make the pandemic worse|Sara Kiley Watson|August 27, 2020|Popular Science
Aside from a blanket ban, social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit are nearly impossible to control.
China’s Internet Is Freer Than You Think|Brendon Hong|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“He would have preferred to have been given a bed rather than a blanket on the floor,” the judge said.
What It’s Like to Be Snatched by the Delta Force|Michael Daly|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The correct procedure in that case is obvious: you cover her with a blanket and leave her alone.
‘The Fappening’ Perpetuators Have a J.Law Come-to-Jesus Moment and ‘Cower With Shame’|Marlow Stern|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cameron said he was rejecting calls for “sweeping and blanket” new laws.
David Cameron's Plan to Fight ISIS Will Likely Involve Racial Profiling|Clive Irving|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had to do three scenes for the audition: the blanket scene where she says, “You pimped me out for a blanket?”
Orange Is the New Black’s Kimiko Glenn on Hippie Brook Soso and Chapel Sex with Natasha Lyonne|Marlow Stern|June 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Rebel soldier had stolen his coat, and he had no blanket to protect him from the cold night-winds.
Winning His Way|Charles Carleton Coffin
He went on, still grunting, while Dan rose to his feet and slung his blanket from his shoulder.
The Battle Ground|Ellen Glasgow
All this in smothered tones, as if the speaker was shut up in a cupboard with a blanket over his head.
Cutlass and Cudgel|George Manville Fenn
I drew the blanket over the face, and then locking the door behind me, went back to my own cabin to think it all out.
The Beautiful White Devil|Guy Boothby
Her hands and arms were enfolded in the blanket, and she was unable to make anything like effective resistance.
Frank Merriwell's Pursuit|Burt L. Standish
British Dictionary definitions for blanket
blanket
/ (ˈblæŋkɪt) /
noun
a large piece of thick cloth for use as a bed covering, animal covering, etc, enabling a person or animal to retain natural body heat
a concealing cover or layer, as of smoke, leaves, or snow
a rubber or plastic sheet wrapped round a cylinder, used in offset printing to transfer the image from the plate, stone, or forme to the paper
physicsa layer of a fertile substance placed round the core of a nuclear reactor as a reflector or absorber and often to breed new fissionable fuel
(modifier)applying to or covering a wide group or variety of people, conditions, situations, etcblanket insurance against loss, injury, and theft
born on the wrong side of the blanketinformalillegitimate
verb(tr)
to cover with or as if with a blanket; overlie
to cover a very wide area, as in a publicity campaign; give blanket coverage
(usually foll by out)to obscure or suppressthe storm blanketed out the TV picture
nauticalto prevent wind from reaching the sails of (another sailing vessel) by passing to windward of it
Word Origin for blanket
C13: from Old French blancquete, from blanc; see blank