quilt

[ kwilt ]

noun

1. a coverlet for a bed, made of two layers of fabric with some soft substance, as wool or down, between them and stitched in patterns or tufted through all thicknesses in order to prevent the filling from shifting.
2. anything quilted or resembling a quilt.
3. a bedspread or counterpane, especially a thick one.
4. Obsolete. a mattress.

verb (used with object)

1. to stitch together (two pieces of cloth and a soft interlining), usually in an ornamental pattern.
2. to sew up between pieces of material.
3. to pad or line with material.

verb (used without object)

1. to make quilts or quilted work.

quilt

/ kwɪlt /

noun

1. a thick warm cover for a bed, consisting of a soft filling sewn between two layers of material, usually with crisscross seams
2. a bedspread or counterpane
3. anything quilted or resembling a quilt

verb

1. to stitch together (two pieces of fabric) with (a thick padding or lining) between them

   to quilt cotton and wool

2. to create (a garment, covering, etc) in this way
3. to pad with material
4. informal.
   to strike; clout

Derived Forms

• ˈquilter, noun

Other Words From

• quilter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of quilt¹

1250–1300; Middle English quilte < Old French cuilte < Latin culcita mattress, cushion

Word History and Origins

Origin of quilt¹

C13: from Old French coilte mattress, from Latin culcita stuffed item of bedding

Example Sentences

If you want to put in a floor, sew a quilt, knit a scarf or paint a wall, you will use algebra to find out how much material you need.

From Science News For Students

Or, and this seems just as likely, computing may splinter into a bizarre quilt of radical chips, all stitched together to make the most of each depending on the situation.

From Singularity Hub 

Brooke fought with the administration at the all-girls school they attended to ensure he didn’t have to wear the quilt uniform or a dress at graduation.

From Washington Blade

Efforts to map reopening around the country end up looking like patchwork quilts.

From Vox

A sample from a cotton quilt with batting also worked very well in the tests as did four layers of silk.

From Science News For Students

Historical photographs on view in the exhibition show a crazy quilt of painting and sculpture.

From The Daily Beast

The final product is an appropriately “salmon” colored quilt.

From The Daily Beast

Like a  patchwork quilt we can cherry pick from the holiday the parts that nurture our well worn hearts.

From The Daily Beast

On another wall was hung a gaily colored quilt made by Harris.

From The Daily Beast

The only problem is that I almost never see a new quilt that seems worthy of being so taken.

From The Daily Beast

Zeal had undressed, extended himself on the bed, and covered his body with an eider-down quilt.

From Project Gutenberg

His grandfather submitted, and Gwynne dropped his arm and rearranged the quilt over his cousin's body.

From Project Gutenberg

Our attention was attracted to three or four windows that looked much like the crazy-quilt work that used to be in fashion.

From Project Gutenberg

He sat down on the side of the cheap, iron bedstead, and emptied his pockets on the top quilt.

From Project Gutenberg

Above, in the lower lofts, every conceivable human oddity was assembled in a sort of mercantile crazy quilt.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bedspread
• blanket
• comforter