towel

Meanings

Noun

• A cloth used for wiping, especially one used for drying anything wet, as a person after a bath.

Verb

• To hit with a towel.
• To dry by using a towel.
• To block up (a door, etc.) with a towel, to conceal the fumes of a recreational drug.
• To beat with a stick, or "oaken towel".

Related

Narrower meaning words

• lavabo
• see also Derived terms below

Origin

• From Middle English towayle, towel, towail, towaille, from Old French toaille ("towel") (modern French touaille), 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, Low German Dweel ("towel"), Old English þwǣle ("band; ribbon; fillet"), Old English þwēan ("to wash").