n.1 a a garment covering and protecting the front of a person's clothes, either from chest or waist level, and tied at the back. b official clothing of this kind (bishop's apron). c anything resembling an apron in shape or function.
2 Theatr. the part of a stage in front of the curtain.
3 the hard-surfaced area on an airfield used for manoeuvring or loading aircraft.
4 an endless conveyor belt.
Phrases and idioms:
tied to a person's apron-strings dominated by or dependent on that person (usu. a woman).
Derivatives:
aproned adj. apronful n. (pl. -fuls).
Etymology: ME naperon etc. f. OF dimin. of nape table-cloth f. L mappa: for loss of n cf. ADDER