# apron

/ˈeɪpɹən/ (US) · /ˈeɪpɹən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/apron
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. protective clothing

noun · CEFR A2

a piece of clothing you tie around your waist or neck to protect your clothes from dirt or spills.

For teachers: a protective garment worn over the front of one's clothes and tied at the back, typically used in cooking, cleaning, or manual trades.

- He put on a clean apron before he started baking the bread.
- The blacksmith donned a heavy leather apron to protect his torso from stray sparks and heat while working at the forge.

### 2. airport parking area

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

the hard, flat area at an airport where planes park, load passengers, or get fuel.

For teachers: the paved area of an airport where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled, or boarded.

- The plane waited on the apron for twenty minutes before moving to the runway.
- Ground crew personnel were busy across the apron, coordinating the simultaneous refueling and baggage loading of several international flights.

### 3. window/wall panel

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a flat piece of wood or stone found just below a window frame or on a wall.

For teachers: a decorative or structural raised panel located immediately below a window sill or a wall monument.

- The carpenter replaced the wooden apron under the window because it was rotting.
- The restoration project required a specialist to replicate the ornate marble apron situated beneath the cathedral's commemorative tablet.

### 4. to cover

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary

to cover something with a layer, like putting an apron on it.

For teachers: to cover or provide a surface with a protective or decorative layer resembling an apron.

- The low hills were aproned with a thick layer of morning mist.
- The architect suggested aproning the base of the monument with granite to prevent erosion from heavy rainfall.

## Examples

- She wears an apron when she bakes cookies.
- The chef tied his white apron tightly before starting the busy lunch service.
- The traditional leather apron offers superior protection against sparks and heat in a blacksmith's workshop.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.