Apron
/ˈeɪ.prən/noun
A protective garment worn over the front of the body, especially while working.
Did you know?The modern word apron came from Middle English *napron*, and the /n/ was lost by rebracketing—people heard phrases like “a napron” as “an apron,” a tiny sound shift that rewired the word.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nep-
“to spin, sew, or weave”
Latin
Latin
mappa
“a cloth or napkin”
Old French
Old French
nappe
“tablecloth; cloth”
Middle English
English
napron
“an apron or cloth worn over the front”
Modern English
English
apron
“a protective garment worn over the front of the body”