‖ duvet
(dyvɛ)
[F. duvet down, earlier dumet, dim. of OF. dum down.]
1. A quilt stuffed with eider-down or swan's-down.
| 1758 Johnson Idler No. 40 ¶4 There are now to be sold..some duvets for bed-coverings. 1880 M. V. G. Havergal Mem. F. R. Havergal xv. 299 Her pet kittens on her duvet. 1967 R. Petrie Foreign Bodies ii. 22 Marian..turned back the sheets, heaping the plump feather duvet over a chair. 1970 Cabinet Maker & Retail Furnisher 31 July 169 Continental quilt or duvet? Call it what you will, this is a market with potential. 1971 Guardian 3 May 9/5 The cult of the Duvet is undoubtedly spreading even if there are those who find continental quilts..too..hot. |
2. A downy growth.
| 1934 in Webster. 1957 M. Sharp Eye of Love x. 88 A slight duvet of black hair by comparison softened them [sc. her forearms]. |
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▸ duvet day n. Brit. colloq. a paid day's leave from work, granted at short notice for rest or recovery from stress, etc.; cf. mental health day n. at mental adj.1 and n. Special uses.
| 1996 Financial Times 30 Sept. 12/1 There are days when one's mood is so sour that the only solution seems to be to stay in bed... Staff at Text 100..can take a ‘*duvet day’. Each employee is allowed two days a year when they can play hookey with their employer's blessing. 1998 Daily Tel. 6 Oct. 17/2 The idea of mental health days (dubbed ‘duvet days’ in some companies) originated in Scandinavia... The aim is to create a relaxed atmosphere in what is often a pressure-cooker environment. 2001 Sunday Herald (Glasgow) 21 Jan. (Business section) In an attempt to reduce absenteeism, a few companies have introduced what they call Duvet Days—extra, paid days off, to be taken in the event of a terrible hangover or a bad case of bone idleness. |