Blanket - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A blanket is a type of bedding

Bedding

Bedding refers to the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for hygiene, warmth, to protect the mattress, and for decorative effect. Bedding is the removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environment. It is more easily and economically replaced than the bed itself...

, generally speaking, a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleep

Sleep

Sleep is a naturally recurring state characterized by reduced or absent consciousness, relatively suspended sensory activity, and inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles. It is distinguished from quiet wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli, and is more easily reversible than...

ing. Blankets are distinguished from sheet

Bed sheet

A bed sheet is a piece of cloth used to cover a mattress. It is this sheet that one typically lies on.In many areas of the world, a second flat bed sheet is laid on top of the sheet covering the mattress. This is known as a "top sheet" and when a top sheet is used, the sheet covering the mattress...

s by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket. Blankets are generally used for warmth, while sheets are for hygiene, comfort and aesthetics. Blankets are subdivided into many types, including quilt

Quilt

A quilt is a type of bed cover, traditionally composed of three layers of fiber: a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding and a woven back, combined using the technique of quilting. “Quilting” refers to the technique of joining at least two fabric layers by stitches or ties...

s, duvet

Duvet

A duvet from the French duvet "down"), is a type of bedding — a soft flat bag filled with down, feathers, or a synthetic alternative, and protected with a removable cover, analogous to a pillow and pillow case...

s, and comforter

Comforter

A comforter is a type of blanket. Comforters are intended to keep the user warm, especially during sleep, although they can also be used as mattress pads. Comforters are generally large and rectangular in shape, filled with natural or synthetic insulative material and encased in a shell/covering....

s, depending on their thickness, construction and/or fill material. Electric blanket

Electric blanket

In the US the electric blanket is a blanket with an integrated electrical heating device usually placed above the top bed sheet. In the UK and Commonwealth, electric blanket commonly refers to an electric mattress pad, which is placed below the bottom bed sheet. Electric blankets usually have a...

s are heated by electricity

Electricity

Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...

. Blankets were traditionally made of wool

Wool

Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....

because of wool's warmth, breathability and natural fire-retardant properties, while sheets were made of cotton

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

or linen

Linen

Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....

, which are less irritating to the skin. Nowadays, synthetic fiber

Synthetic fiber

Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by scientists to improve on naturally occurring animal and plant fibers. In general, synthetic fibers are created by forcing, usually through extrusion, fiber forming materials through holes into the air, forming a thread...

s are frequently used for both. Throw blankets are smaller blankets, often in decorative colors and patterns, that can be used for extra warmth outside of bed. Blankets are sometimes used as comfort object

Comfort object

A comfort object, transitional object, or security blanket is an item used to provide psychological comfort, especially in unusual or unique situations, or at bedtime for small children. Among toddlers, comfort objects may take the form of a blanket, a stuffed animal, or a favorite toy, and may be...

s by small children.

Etymology

The term arose from the generalization of a specific fabric called Blanket fabric, a heavily napped woolen weave pioneered by Thomas Blanket (Blanquette), a Flemish weaver who lived in Bristol

Bristol

Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

in the 14th century.
Earlier usage of the term is possible through its derivation from the French word for white, blanc.

Use as a ground cloth

Blankets may also be used on the ground

Soil

Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...

for a picnic

Picnic

In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...

or other places where people want to sit in a grassy or muddy area without soiling their clothing. Temporary blankets have been designed for this purpose, although their inherent wastefulness is a chief concern of several environmental groups.

Use in firefighting

Specialized blankets known as fire blanket

Fire blanket

A fire blanket is a safety device designed to extinguish small incipient fires. It consists of a sheet of fire retardant material which is placed over a fire in order to smother it ....

s may be used by firefighter

Firefighter

Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...

s to protect furnishings from water damage during firefighting. Firefighters often wear specialized variants of the fire blanket to protect themselves as well.

Use in moving of household goods

Thick quilted and durable blankets are used as protective covers and cushioning when furnishings are moved.

Use in horse care

A warming coat for a horse is called a horse blanket
Horse blanket
A horse blanket or rug is a blanket or animal coat intended for keeping a horse or other equine warm or otherwise protected from wind or other elements. They are tailored to fit around a horse's body from chest to rump, with straps crossing underneath the belly to secure the blanket yet allowing...

, intended to prevent the development of a shaggy winter coat of hair. A small saddle blanket
Saddle blanket
The terms saddle blanket, saddle pad and saddle cloth refer to blankets, pads or fabrics inserted under a saddle. These are usually used to absorb sweat, cushion the saddle, and protect the horse's back. Saddle blankets have been used for many centuries with all types of saddles...

protects the horse's skin from chafing from the pressure points of a saddle

Saddle

A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...

Use in keeping heat within the body

To keep warmth inside the body, a blanket can be used to cover one's skin and keep the warmth in. Many kinds of blankets, such as wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....

are used because they are thicker and have more substantial fabric to them, but cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

can also be used for light blankets. The term blanket is often interchanged with comforter, quilt, and duvet, as they all have similar uses.

Etymology

Use as a ground cloth

Use in firefighting

Use in moving of household goods

Use in horse care

Use in keeping heat within the body

See also