Definition

Noun: 1. A thick, heavy blanket made of wool, typically featuring a plaid pattern: Historically, this type of blanket was used for warmth in cold climates, particularly in the northwestern United States and Canada. It is often associated with outdoor activities like camping and trade with Indigenous peoples.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The trapper wrapped himself in his mackinaw blanket to ward off the freezing night air.
  • They spread a heavy mackinaw blanket on the ground for their picnic.
  • The trading post stocked mackinaw blankets alongside other essential goods for the winter.

Advanced Usage

• The term can refer specifically to blankets traded by the Hudson's Bay Company, which became iconic for their distinctive striped patterns.
• In historical contexts, a "mackinaw blanket" was not just bedding but also a versatile piece of clothing or a trade item of significant value.

Variants and Related Words

• Mackinaw (noun): Can also refer to a short, double-breasted coat made of the same thick, plaid wool material as the blanket.
• Hudson's Bay point blanket (noun): A specific, historically significant type of wool trade blanket, often conflated with the mackinaw blanket.

Synonyms

• Trade blanket
• Wool blanket
• Plaid blanket

Related Idioms

• To be wrapped in a mackinaw blanket: This phrase evokes a strong sense of rustic warmth and historical or outdoor living. It is more descriptive than a fixed idiom.
  • The old photograph showed a logger wrapped in a mackinaw blanket by the fire.

Noun

1. a thick plaid blanket formerly used in the northwestern United States