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Glite Dictionary
household linen

household linen

2.2
Cloth items used in the home like sheets, towels and tablecloths
  • noun
  • /ˈhaʊshoʊld ˈlɪnən/
translation icon : ropa de casa
  • I bought some new household linen yesterday.

Examples

  • She put fresh household linen on all the beds before the guests arrived.

  • Proper care of household linen can help it last for many years.

  • The store carries a wide selection of household linen such as towels and tablecloths.

  • We need to wash the household linen this weekend.

  • A clean set of household linen is essential for making a guest room comfortable.

  • She carefully folded the household linen after washing it and placed it in the closet.

  • The bride received a beautiful collection of household linen as a wedding gift.

Synonyms

linen
vshousehold linen
111 1.0

A strong cloth made from flax used for sheets and tablecloths

is used for home cloth items regardless of their fabric
white goods
vshousehold linen
  • Archaic
3.5

Household cloth items like sheets, towels, and tablecloths

is not limited to white cloth and includes items in any color

Surface Forms

household linen singular
household linens plural

Morphology

household + linen

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'household' (relating to the home) with 'linen' (cloth items such as sheets and towels): together they denote cloth articles used in the home. This modifier–head composition is a common, transparent noun–noun construction cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the phrase.

Etymology

Household linen comes from the simple idea of cloth kept for the household, especially the fine cloth called linen. Imagine a neat stack of sheets, towels and tablecloths — that picture explains why it means 'articles made of cloth used in the home'.