security blanket
1
3.2
- noun
- /sɪˈkjʊrɪti ˈblæŋkɪt/
- Baby Talk
:
manta de seguridad
- She folded Laurie's security blanket on the pillow.
Examples
-
But he is out the front door and halfway down the steps when Hannah appears, dragging a shred of yellow security blanket.
Fiction book (1996) -
The child clutched her security blanket tightly as she fell asleep in her crib.
-
Little psychotherapist doesn't even know what to do without her little security blanket, her little notes.
-
It was Sarah who carried her up, changed her, tucked her into bed, and slipped the security blanket between her arms and under her chin.
Fiction book (1992) -
He still has his favorite security blanket from childhood, which he uses to feel safe during thunderstorms.
-
Whenever she felt anxious, she would hold her security blanket close to her, finding comfort in its softness.
Synonyms
373
1.0
A large soft cloth you use on a bed to keep warm
4
6.8
A soft toy or blanket a child hugs for comfort
2
7.9
A child's soft blanket that gives comfort
How Comforting
Surface Forms
Morphology
security + blanket
The meaning is directly built from 'security' (safety, reassurance) + 'blanket' (a covering) — literally a blanket that provides security and, by simple metaphorical extension, any object that gives comfort. This compositional relation is straightforward and predictable for a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Security blanket comes from the small blanket a child often carries and hugs to 'feel safe'. That's why the phrase means 'a thing that gives comfort'.