August 09, 2012
- apron (noun)
- \AY-prun\
- What does it mean?
- 1 : a garment worn on the front of the body to keep the clothing from getting dirty2 : something that suggests or resembles an apron in shape, position, or use: as a : the part of the stage in front of the curtain b : the paved part of an airport next to the terminal area or hangars
- How do you use it?
- Liza knew from experience that she should reach for an apron when it was time to stir her homemade pasta sauce.
- Are you a word wiz?
The word "apron" resulted from a mistake made centuries ago. What do you think the mistake was?
You've got yourself covered if you picked A! Thanks to a mishearing, a modern-day cook wears an "apron," not a "napron." In the English of the 14th century, "napron" denoted a cloth placed over clothing to protect it from stains. ("Napron" derives from the French "naperon," which usually referred to a small cloth placed over a more elegant tablecloth to protect it from stains.) In speech, a "napron" was often incorrectly understood as "an apron," and by the 17th century "apron" had effectively replaced "napron."
