cafe curtain
- noun
- /ˈkæfeɪ ˈkɜrtən/
:
cortina de café
- I love how the cafe curtain adds a touch of charm to the small dining area while still giving us privacy.
Examples
-
The cafe curtain swayed gently in the breeze, allowing soft sunlight to filter into the cozy kitchen.
-
She hung the cafe curtain to let in the morning light while keeping the room private.
-
The café curtains fly up in their faces as they drink.
Fiction book (1990) -
Upstairs, Francesca ran a quick bath and, while drying off, peered over the top of the cafe curtain toward the farmyard.
Fiction book (1992) -
The thought of visiting Aunt Heidi's scrubbed and simple apartment, with its polyester café curtains and wall-to-wall carpets, seemed suddenly appealing.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
312
1.0
A piece of hanging cloth used to cover a window
3
4.1
A thin decorative cloth for a window that lets light in but hides the view
1
2.8
Thin curtain with small holes that lets light in but stops people outside from seeing in
How Private
Surface Forms
Morphology
cafe + curtain
The meaning is directly compositional: 'cafe' specifies the place/type and 'curtain' is literal, so a learner will infer it is a curtain associated with cafés (or kitchen/casual settings) often hung partway up a window. The modifier also suggests the typical short/light style for partial privacy, a pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner knowing both words can derive the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The name cafe curtain comes from the small curtains used in cafes and diners that hung halfway up the window. These short, sheer curtains let light in while stopping people outside from seeing, so the term now means a short curtain hung partway up a window to give 'privacy'.