towel
[ tou-uh l, toul ]
/ ˈtaʊ əl, taʊl /
noun
an absorbent cloth or paper for wiping and drying something wet, as one for the hands, face, or body after washing or bathing.
verb (used with object), tow·eled, tow·el·ing or (especially British) tow·elled, tow·el·ling.
to wipe or dry with a towel.
Idioms for towel
throw in the towel, Informal.
to concede defeat; give up; yield: He vowed he would never throw in the towel.
Origin of towel
1250–1300; Middle English (noun) < Old French
toaille cloth for washing or wiping < West Germanic
*thwahliō (> Old High German
dwahilla, akin to
dwahal bath); cognate with Gothic
thwahl, thwēal washing
Words nearby towel
towards,
towaway,
towaway zone,
towbar,
towboat,
towel,
towel rack,
towel rail,
towelette,
toweling,
towelling
British Dictionary definitions for throw in the towel
towel
/ (ˈtaʊəl) /
noun
a square or rectangular piece of absorbent cloth or paper used for drying the body
a similar piece of cloth used for drying plates, cutlery, etc
throw in the towel See throw in (def. 4)
verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled (tr)
to dry or wipe with a towel
(often foll by up) Australian slang
to assault or beat (a person)
Word Origin for towel
C13: from Old French
toaille, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German
dwahal bath, Old Saxon
twahila towel, Gothic
thwahan to wash
Cultural definitions for throw in the towel
throw in the towel
To quit in defeat. The phrase comes from boxing, in which a fighter indicates surrender by throwing a towel into the ring: “After losing the election, he threw in the towel on his political career.”
Idioms and Phrases with throw in the towel
towel
see crying towel; throw in the sponge (towel).