quilt

Word family

• quilted
  adjectiveB2
• quilting
  nounB2
• quilter
  nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A quilt is a stitched bed covering with padding between two layers of fabric, often with decorative stitching patterns. A comforter (chiefly US) is also thick and padded but is usually machine-stitched in a grid pattern and sold as a set with pillow shams; it does not have the same handmade or heirloom associations as a quilt. A duvet is a soft, flat bag filled with down or synthetic fibres and used with a removable cover — it is the standard term in the UK for what Americans might call a comforter. A blanket is the most general term: a single layer of woven fabric used for warmth, without padding or internal stitching. For example, you might wrap yourself in a blanket on the sofa, but you would put a quilt or duvet on your bed.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word quilt comes from the Latin culcita, meaning a stuffed sack or mattress. It passed through Old French cuilte (a padded bed cover) before entering Middle English as quilte in the 13th century. The verb form emerged later, as the craft of sewing padded layers became a distinct household skill.