English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
noun B1 Intermediate

duvet

DOO-vay
Quiz me More like this

Duvet (noun) means a thick, soft quilt filled with down, feathers or synthetic fibre, used on a bed instead of a top sheet and blankets and normally slipped inside a washable cover. Example: “She pulled the duvet over her head and went back to sleep.”

noun
1
A thick, soft quilt filled with down, feathers or synthetic fibre, used on a bed instead of a top sheet and blankets and normally slipped inside a washable cover.
"She pulled the duvet over her head and went back to sleep."
"We swap to a lighter duvet in summer."

How to use duvet

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishIt is the thick padded quilt you sleep under.

When to use it

The standard British word; Americans usually say comforter, and reserve duvet for the insert that goes inside a duvet cover. Warmth is sold by tog rating in the UK and by fill power or season in the US.

Memory tip

The final t is silent: it sounds like "doo-vay".

Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
duvet cover tog rating under the duvet duvet day
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like duvet.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Test yourself on “duvet” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She pulled the _____ over her head and went back to sleep.

Etymology

From French duvet, down or fine feathers.

Origin: French

quilt comforter continental quilt eiderdown

Related words

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a duvet and a comforter?
A duvet is a plain filled insert designed to go inside a removable cover that you wash. A comforter is quilted, decorative and used as it comes, with no cover, so the whole thing has to be laundered.
What does the tog rating on a duvet mean?
Tog measures how well the duvet traps heat, not how heavy it is. Around 4.5 tog suits summer, 9 to 10.5 tog is the usual all-year choice, and 13.5 tog is for cold winter bedrooms.
How often should you wash a duvet?
The cover should be washed with the bedding, roughly every one to two weeks. The duvet itself only needs washing two or three times a year, and many need a large commercial machine to dry properly.
What is the meaning of duvet?
"duvet" (noun) means a thick, soft quilt filled with down, feathers or synthetic fibre, used on a bed instead of a top sheet and blankets and normally slipped inside a washable cover.

People also searched