apron

apron — noun

1. a covering, usually made of cloth or plastic, that ties around your waist and ha

1.nounA2
Definition

a covering, usually made of cloth or plastic, that ties around your waist and hangs downward across your chest and stomach so that food, paint, or dirt does not get on the clothes underneath.

Example

Mom tied a flowery cotton apron around her waist before kneading the dough.

tie an apron around the waist

The chef wiped his oily hands on the front of his white apron.

wipe hands on an apron

Common collocations
  • kitchen apron
  • leather apron
  • plastic apron
  • tie an apron
  • wear an apron
Synonyms
  • pinafore

    British; often a sleeveless apron-dress for children

  • smock

    looser, covers more of the body; common for artists or schoolchildren

  • overall

    a full protective garment; covers more than just the front

Grammar Patterns

wear an apron

tie/put on an apron

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person doing cooking, cleaning, painting, or craftwork. Often modified by a material word (cotton, plastic, leather, rubber) that signals the activity.

Common Mistakes

I wore an apron on my back to keep my shirt clean.
I wore an apron over my front to keep my shirt clean.
an apron covers the front of the body, not the back.
She dressed an apron before cooking.
She put on an apron before cooking.
use 'put on', 'wear', or 'tie on', not 'dress'.

2. a flat, hard-surfaced area beside a terminal building where planes park so that

2.nounC1
Definition

a flat, hard-surfaced area beside a terminal building where planes park so that they can be loaded, refuelled, or prepared for the next flight.

Example

Three jumbo jets were parked on the apron, waiting for new passengers.

on the apron

Ground crew rushed across the apron to refuel the small commuter plane.

across the apron + ground operations

Common collocations
  • on the apron
  • airport apron
  • across the apron
  • park on the apron
Synonyms
  • tarmac

    more general; can also mean the runway surface

  • ramp

    American aviation industry term for the same area

Antonyms
  • runway

    the long strip used for take-off and landing, not for parking

Grammar Patterns

on the apron

park/refuel on the apron

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 3: this sense always names an outdoor paved area at an airport, never a stage. Often appears with 'on the' and aviation verbs like 'park', 'refuel', 'taxi', or 'load'.

Common Mistakes

The plane landed on the apron.
The plane landed on the runway and then taxied to the apron.
planes land on a runway; the apron is where they park afterwards.

3. the strip of stage that sticks out toward the audience beyond the main curtain,

3.nounC2
Definition

the strip of stage that sticks out toward the audience beyond the main curtain, allowing actors to perform very close to the people watching.

Example

The young actor stepped onto the apron and delivered his speech directly to the front row.

step onto the apron + audience-facing speech

During the encore, the singer walked along the apron, shaking hands with delighted fans.

walk along the apron

Common collocations
  • the apron of the stage
  • step onto the apron
  • downstage apron
Synonyms
  • forestage

    technical theatre term for the same area

  • thrust

    a stage that extends much further into the audience

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

step onto the apron

on the apron

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is part of a theatre stage, never an airport surface. Almost always appears with definite article 'the' and theatre verbs like 'step onto', 'walk along', or 'light'.

Common Mistakes

The actor stood behind the apron to address the crowd.
The actor stood on the apron to address the crowd.
the apron is in front of the curtain, so actors stand on it, not behind it.
Idioms

tied to someone's apron strings

idiom

controlled by, or unable to act independently of, a parent (especially a mother) or another older person, often in a way that other people find childish.

At twenty-eight, Brian was still tied to his mother's apron strings and asked her permission for everything.

Critics said the young senator was tied to the governor's apron strings and had no opinions of his own.

(tied to) somebody’s apron strings

idiom

Being too dependent on or controlled by another person, especially a parent or spouse.

At 30, Diego still lives at home, tied to his mother's apron strings.

Maya refused to be tied to her husband's apron strings and started her own business.

Word family

  • aproned
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words name a piece of clothing worn over normal clothes for protection, but the differences matter. An 'apron' covers only the front of the body and ties at the waist or neck; it is the everyday word for cooking and cleaning. A 'pinafore' is mostly British and often refers to a sleeveless dress-style apron, especially one worn by girls or waitresses. A 'smock' is loose, slips over the head, and covers more of the upper body — artists, potters, and young schoolchildren wear smocks. An 'overall' (or 'overalls') is a one-piece protective garment that covers the whole body, used by mechanics or factory workers. So: 'I wore an apron to bake cookies', 'She wore a blue pinafore to school', 'The art teacher gave each child a paint smock', and 'The mechanic zipped up his greasy overalls'.

apron ↗pinaforesmockoverall ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • put on an apron
  • tie on an apron
  • wear an apron

Prepositions

  • on the apron
  • in an apron
  • behind an apron

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'apron' came into English from Old French 'naperon', meaning a small tablecloth or napkin, itself from Latin 'mappa' (cloth). The original Middle English form was 'napron'; over time, people misheard 'a napron' as 'an apron', and the 'n' moved across to the article — the same kind of mistake that turned 'a nadder' into 'an adder' and 'a numpire' into 'an umpire'. The airport and theatre senses developed much later, by analogy: in each case, the area looks like a flat covering spread out in front of something else.