blanket
part of speech
noun (a blanket, blankets); adjective (blanket — covering everything); verb (blanket, blankets, blanketed, blanketing)
meaning for a pupil
1) A blanket is a large piece of warm cloth used to cover you in bed or keep you warm. tree →
2) A blanket of something is a thick covering of it, like a blanket of snow or fog. tree →
3) To blanket means to cover something completely. tree →
4) A blanket rule is one that covers every case. tree →
sense in the lessons
In everyday life, children snuggle under blankets and take picnic blankets to the park. In safety, a fire blanket smothers a pan fire in the kitchen (never throw water on burning oil), and a foil emergency blanket keeps someone warm after an accident. In science, a blanket keeps you warm because it traps air and stops heat escaping; it does not make heat itself. In stories, «a blanket of snow» covers the town. Phrases: fire blanket, picnic blanket, security blanket, wet blanket, a blanket of snow.
examples
- Grab a blanket; it's cold tonight. tree →
- We sat on a picnic blanket in the park. tree →
- A blanket of snow covered the garden. tree →
- Fog blanketed the town. tree →
- The fire blanket is on the kitchen wall. tree →
- My baby sister carries her blanket everywhere. tree →
- Blankets keep you warm by trapping heat. tree →
- Don't be a wet blanket; come and join in! tree →
note
Countable: a blanket, blankets. Science trap: a blanket does not warm things up; it stops heat moving, which is why a blanket can also keep ice cubes cold longer. A «wet blanket» is someone who spoils fun.
In the corpora
- Wild orangutans hold big leaves over their heads like umbrellas, and zoo orangutans use sacks and blankets the same way.
- A squirrel's bushy tail helps it balance and works as a blanket and an umbrella.
- «The word and the thought alone were worth fifty blankets.»
- Phones and tablets charging under pillows or blankets can overheat and start a fire.
- A blanket den should use light things; a treehouse needs an adult, strong wood and a safe height.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «blanket» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.