Inherited 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”)).
1
A heavy, loosely woven fabric, usually large and woollen, used for warmth while sleeping or resting.
The baby was cold, so his mother put a blanket over him.
The little boys in the front bedroom had thrown off their blankets and lay under the sheets.1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter 1, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC:
2
A covering layer of anything.
The city woke under a thick blanket of fog.
In this case, the excavations were carried down to a depth of 3 ft. 9 in. below rail level, and pre-cast concrete slabs were laid between a 12 in. blanket of quarry waste and the ballast.1948 March and April, “Notes and News: Slab Blanketing at Clapham Junction”, in Railway Magazine, page 131:
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There was no difficulty in sighting the semaphores from this timely warning to each one; but it would have been another matter if the driver had to peer continuously into that white blanket [fog] looking for them without any pre-warning.1959 April 23, O. S. Nock, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 266:
3
A thick rubber mat used in the offset printing process to transfer ink from the plate to the paper being printed.
A press operator must carefully wash the blanket whenever changing a plate.
Inherited 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”)).
1
General; covering or encompassing everything.
Another observer offered a less blanket criticism.1994, Deborah Dash Moore, To the Golden Cities:
Some others appear to be adopting a more blanket approach2009, Gayle Letherby, Kate Williams, Philip Birch, Sex as Crime, page 57:
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Disenchanted with socialism, they unleashed free enterprise (or tried to) and backed it up with a more-or-less blanket endorsement of the old ways.2010, Jay Cassell, The Best Hunting Stories Ever Told, page 428:
By contrast, any emotional or motivational explanation of autism would seem to predict too blanket a degree of social disinterest.2013, Eric Schopler, Gary B. Mesibov, Learning and Cognition in Autism, page 187:
The second reason offered for blanket nonprosecutions for crimes committed at the megabanks involves the possibility that such prosecutions could harm the economy.2017, Mary Kreiner Ramirez, Steven A. Ramirez, The Case for the Corporate Death Penalty, page 207:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday wrote to his counterparts in Delhi, Haryana, Odisha and Rajasthan urging them to reconsider the blanket ban on sale of firecrackers in their respective States.2021 October 15, “Stalin writes to four States CMs against blanket ban on firecrackers”, in The Hindu:
blanket
verb
Etymology
Inherited 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”)).
1
To cover with, or as if with, a blanket.
A fresh layer of snow blanketed the area.
[…] / I will preſerue my ſelfe, and am bethought / To take the baſeſt and moſt pooreſt ſhape, / That euer penury in contempt of man, / Brought neare to beaſt, my face ile grime with filth, / Blanket my loynes, elſe all my haire with knots, / And with preſented nakedness outface, / The wind, and perſecution of the skie, / […]c. 1603–1606 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] His True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Nathaniel Butter, […], published 1608, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:
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I see the moon go off watch and the darkness begin to blanket the river.1884 December 10, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter VIII, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade) […], London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, page 64:
The whole world was shut away outside in blood-red glory, as he rocked in his cradle on the immaculate sea, where the warm air blanketted him above the water sheets cold below.1963, Edwin Samuel, “Sun in My Eyes”, in My Friend Musa and Other Stories, London; New York, N.Y.; Toronto, Ont.: Abelard-Schuman, →LCCN, page 3:
Leaping lightly on his back he led the grateful horse in an easy canter back to the stable where he waited and watched as the stable girl rubbed him down and blanketted him.1992, Ann C. Fallon, Dead Ends: A James Fleming Mystery, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 127:
The noise of the fire silenced the seabirds. Then snow blanketted the fire. Birds sang in the snow, and I awoke.1994, Harold Brodkey, “Changing Room or What a Profane Friendship Is Like”, in Profane Friendship, San Francisco, Calif.: Mercury House, →ISBN, page 151:
2
To traverse or complete thoroughly.
The salesman blanketed the entire neighborhood.
3
To toss in a blanket by way of punishment.
Hang him, poore grogran-raſcall, pray thee thinke not of him: I’le ſend for him to my lodging, and haue him blanketted when thou wilt, man.1600 (first performance), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Cynthias Reuels, or The Fountayne of Selfe-Loue. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, Act III, scene ii, page 209:
Wee'll haue our men blanket 'hem i' the hall.1609 December (first performance), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Epicoene, or The Silent Woman. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, Act V, scene iiii:
4
To take the wind out of the sails of (another vessel) by sailing to windward of it.
5
To nullify the impact of (someone or something).
6
Of a radio signal: to override or block out another radio signal.