blanket

1 of 3

noun

blan·​ket ˈblaŋ-kət How to pronounce blanket (audio)
1
a
: a large usually oblong piece of woven fabric used as a bed covering
b
: a similar piece of fabric used as a body covering (as for an animal)
a horse blanket
2
: something that resembles a blanket
a blanket of fog
a blanket of gloom
3
: a rubber or plastic sheet on the cylinder in an offset press that transfers the image to the surface being printed
blanketlike adjective

blanket

2 of 3

verb

blanketed; blanketing; blankets

transitive verb

1
: to cover with or as if with a blanket
new grass blankets the slope
2
a
: to cover so as to obscure, interrupt, suppress, or extinguish
blanket a fire with foam
b
: to interrupt the smooth flow of wind to (something, such as a downwind ship)
c
: to apply or cause to apply to uniformly despite wide separation or diversity among the elements included
freight rates that blanket a region
d
: to cause to be included
automatically blanketed into the program
towns blanketed into the district

blanket

3 of 3

adjective

1
: effective or applicable in all instances or contingencies
blanket rules
Traveller rights across the European Union remain unchanged despite the blanket cancellation of flights and holidays in recent weeks …Conor Pope
A blanket ban on all private collecting of ivory could result in the confiscation and destruction of many historically important pieces of work.Kit Roberts
Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, chair of African American Studies at Temple University, … remarked: "I do not think that anyone should make any blanket statements about any ethnic or cultural group without citing authoritative sources to substantiate those statements."Peter Noel
2
: covering all members of a group or class without individual apportionment
blanket insurance coverage
… calling for a five per cent blanket wage reduction for all city hall staffers …Melissa Gilligan

Examples of blanket in a Sentence

Noun It's going to get cold tonight so you may need extra blankets. a blanket of fog concealed the view of the harbor Verb Ice was blanketing the bay. The fields were blanketed with flowers. Adjective a blanket amnesty for all illegal aliens a blanket ban on use of the chemical
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Two Rivers Police Department said that a red and white plaid blanket found earlier in this investigation was confirmed to belong to Elijah Vue, a Wisconsin 3-year-old who went missing on February 20. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024 If your hydrangea is on the verge of blooming, cover it with a blanket or tarp until the cold snap passes. Patricia S York, Southern Living, 18 Mar. 2024 In the photo set shared on Instagram, Grace cuddles a baby kangaroo bundled up in a blanket on her lap. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 The nurses cleaned him up, put a diaper on him and a cap on his head, then handed him to Megan to snuggle skin-to-skin to her chest, covered with a warming blanket. Jessica Van Egeren, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024 There wasn't a baby box at 3228 River Park Drive, so Samuel's biological mother wrapped him in a blanket and placed him in a Nike shoebox just at shift change at the fire station. Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 12 Mar. 2024 Still unidentified are an Asian male found wearing women’s clothing, a woman referred to as Peaches because of a tattoo and her toddler daughter left in a blanket, wearing gold jewelry and bearing no signs of trauma. Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Emergency shelter: Packing a tent, space blanket, tarp and bivy can help you be prepared if severe weather breaks out or your plan takes a turn. Daniella Segura, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 California has a blanket primary system, meaning candidates from all parties compete on the same ballot and the top two vote-getters move forward to the general election. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
On Friday, tourism hot spot Chiang Mai was the world’s most polluted city as toxic smog brought by seasonal agricultural burning blanketed the northern city. Helen Regan, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024 As the moon blankets the sun and casts a dark shadow over the Earth, scientific breakthroughs can come to light. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024 On this subfreezing day in late January, snow blankets the station’s gray roof. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Mass pro-Palestinian marches have blanketed the heart of London. Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2024 Greater Cincinnati residents should be prepared for hazardous conditions on the road after snow blanketed the region early Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 This puts the 2026 FIFA World Cup smack in the middle of the wildfire season, which has only worsened with the onset of climate change — blanketing both coasts last summer. Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024 The small animal was blanketed by the darkness and hidden in the leaves — but not well enough. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Last year, however, storms blanketed the Rocky Mountains with an above-average snowpack, and this year the region’s snowfall and rain have been about average. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Add in those warm layers with this pretty blanket scarf that can be wrapped in a bunch of different ways. Taylor Gumm, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blanket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English blanket, blaunket "woolen cloth (usually undyed), bed covering," borrowed from Anglo-French blanchet, blaunchet, blanket "whitish, cosmetic powder made from white lead, white woolen material, bed covering" (also continental Old & Middle French blanchet, blanquet "white, white woolen fabric, sleeveless woman's garment"), from blanc "white" + -et, diminutive suffix (going back to Latin -ittus) — more at blank entry 1

Verb

derivative of blanket entry 1

Adjective

from attributive use of blanket entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blanket was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near blanket

Cite this Entry

“Blanket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blanket. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

blanket

1 of 3 noun
blan·​ket ˈblaŋ-kət How to pronounce blanket (audio)
1
: a large warm usually rectangular covering used for beds
2
: a covering of any kind
a horse blanket
a blanket of snow

blanket

2 of 3 verb
: to cover with or as if with a blanket

blanket

3 of 3 adjective
: covering all instances or members of a group or class
blanket approval

Legal Definition

blanket

adjective
blan·​ket
1
: covering or affecting all members of a group or class
blanket health coverage
2
: covering or affecting all situations
a blanket release of liability

More from Merriam-Webster on blanket

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