タオルケット
たおるけっと
noun
towel blanket; terry cloth blanket
1.
towel blanket; terry cloth blanket
A lightweight blanket made of terry cloth (towel fabric), widely used in Japan as summer bedding. The name is a Japanese-coined English blend of "towel" and "blanket."
夏はタオルケットで寝る。
In summer I sleep with a towel blanket.
タオルケットを洗濯する。
Wash the towel blanket.
蒸し暑い夜は布団の代わりにタオルケットを掛けて寝ている。
On hot, humid nights I sleep with a towel blanket instead of a futon.
A wasei-eigo (Japanese-coined English) combining "towel" and "blanket." Not used or understood in English.
USAGE:
タオルケット is a staple of Japanese summer bedding. Made of absorbent terry cloth, it is lighter than a 布団 or 毛布 and ideal for Japan's hot, humid summers. Most Japanese households switch from heavy bedding to a タオルケット around June and use it through September. It is also popular as a baby blanket year-round.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- タオルケットを掛ける: to put on a towel blanket
- タオルケット一枚: just a towel blanket (minimal summer bedding)
- 綿100%のタオルケット: 100% cotton towel blanket
- 今治タオルケット: Imabari towel blanket (premium brand from Ehime Prefecture)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 毛布: blanket — heavier, typically wool or synthetic, used in colder months
- 肌掛け布団: thin summer quilt — a lightweight quilt, slightly thicker and warmer than a towel blanket
- 掛け布団: comforter, duvet — standard year-round bedding, much heavier