hot-water bag
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A hot-water bag is a flexible, sealed container, typically made of rubber or a similar material, with a stopper. It is designed to be filled with hot water and then used to provide warmth, most commonly to warm a bed before sleeping or to apply heat to a specific part of the body for comfort or therapeutic relief.
Examples of Usage
- Before electric blankets, people often used a hot-water bag to take the chill off the sheets on a cold night.
- To soothe her sore muscles, she placed a hot-water bag on her lower back.
- The nurse brought a hot-water bag for the patient who was feeling cold.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used metaphorically to describe something that provides comfort or warmth in a non-literal sense, though this is less common.
- In those difficult times, her kindness was like a hot-water bag for my soul.
Variants and Related Words
- Hot-water bottle: This is a very common synonym and is often used interchangeably with "hot-water bag," though "bottle" may imply a slightly more rigid or traditional rubber shape.
- Heating pad: A related modern device that uses electricity to generate heat, serving a similar purpose.
Synonyms
- Warming bag
- Bed warmer (though this can also refer to a different, older device)
Related Idioms or Phrases
- To be a hot-water bottle: An informal and figurative way to describe a person who radiates warmth and comfort to others.
- On winter camping trips, my dog insists on sleeping next to me; he's my little hot-water bottle.
Noun
- a stoppered receptacle (usually made of rubber) that is to be filled with hot water and used for warming a bed or parts of the body