Meaning & use
duvet cover
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A removable fabric bag that you put over a duvet to keep it clean and change its look.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a duvet cover' or 'duvet covers'.
Patterns
- put on a duvet cover
- change the duvet cover
- a duvet cover for a single bed
I washed the duvet cover and hung it outside to dry.
This duvet cover has a small tear near the bottom corner.
She bought a new duvet cover to match the curtains.
nouncountable
A protective outer layer for a duvet, often sold with matching pillowcases.
Grammar: Often used in the plural when talking about a set: 'duvet covers and pillowcases'.
Patterns
- a set of duvet covers
- duvet cover and pillowcases
The bedding set includes a duvet cover and two pillowcases.
We stock duvet covers in several sizes and colors.
Word forms
| plural | duvet covers |
|---|
Common combinations
- change the duvet cover
- I need to change the duvet cover before the guests arrive.
- wash the duvet cover
- You should wash the duvet cover at least once a month.
- a clean duvet cover
- She put a clean duvet cover on the bed.
- a duvet cover with buttons
- He prefers a duvet cover with buttons rather than a zipper.
- put on a duvet cover
- It takes two people to put on a duvet cover easily.
Synonyms and how they differ
- quilt cover
- Used especially in British English for the same item; 'duvet cover' is more common in American English.
- comforter cover
- American English term for a cover for a thick, quilted bedcover; a duvet cover is usually for a duvet, which is often thinner and can be used without a top sheet.
Word family
- duvet noun
- A thick, soft bedcover filled with feathers or synthetic material.
Commonly confused: duvet cover or duvet?
duvet cover vs duvet
A duvet is the thick quilt itself; a duvet cover is the removable fabric bag that goes over it.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'duvet cover' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A duvet cover is a removable cover for a duvet, so you wash it and put it back on the duvet. Option A describes using a duvet, not its cover. Option C describes a duvet itself. Option D describes using a duvet as a pillow, which is not typical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “duvet cover”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.