cloche

Everyday

1. (gardening) A glass or plastic cover shaped like a bell or a small tunnel, put over young plants to protect them from cold and pests. tree →
2. A close-fitting, bell-shaped woman's hat, popular in the 1920s. tree →
3. (cooking) A dome-shaped cover put over a plate of food to keep it warm. tree →

In the lessons

In gardening and science lessons, a cloche works like a mini greenhouse: it traps warmth so seeds sprout earlier. In history and costume, flappers in the 1920s wore cloche hats. In posh restaurants and films the waiter lifts the silver cloche to show the food. It tells the reader about a bell-shaped cover.

Examples

• We put a cloche over the lettuce seedlings to keep the frost off. tree →
• A plastic bottle cut in half makes a good cloche. tree →
• The waiter lifted the silver cloche with a flourish. tree →
• In the 1920s photo, she wore a little cloche hat. tree →
• The cloche traps heat like a tiny greenhouse. tree →
• Slugs couldn't get to the plants under the cloche. tree →

Note

Countable: a cloche, cloches. Say «klosh». It is the French word for «bell», used in English for these bell-shaped things. Not related to «clock», though the sound is a bit similar.