Word
towel
Phoneticstow·el
US/ˈtaʊəɫ/
UK/tˈaʊəl/
Definitions
01drying cloth
n. a piece of thick, soft cloth or paper used for drying your body or a surface.
n. an absorbent cloth or paper sheet used for drying or wiping, especially after bathing or washing.
“She grabbed a fresh towel from the cupboard after her shower.”
“The spa provides guests with thick, heated towels and cotton robes to ensure maximum comfort after their treatments.”
03to hit with a towel
v. to hit someone with a towel, often by snapping it quickly.
v. to strike someone with a towel, typically as a prank or a form of horseplay. Informal in register.
“The boys were towelling each other in the locker room after practice.”
“The coach reprimanded the players for towelling one another in the changing rooms, citing safety concerns.”
Informal
Etymology
From Middle English towayle, towel, towail, towaille, from Old French toaille (“towel”) (modern French touaille), Medieval Latin toallia, from Frankish þwahilu (“cloth”), from Proto-Germanic þwahaną (“to wash”). Cognate with Old High German dwahila (“towel”) (modern dialectal German Zwehle), Dutch dwaal (“towel”), dweil (“mop”), Low German Dweel (“towel”), Old English þwǣle (“band; ribbon; fillet”), Old English þwēan (“to wash”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
throw in the towel — To quit; to give up.