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

Definition for towelling (2 of 2)

toweling
[ tou-uh-ling, tou-ling ]
/ ˈtaʊ ə lɪŋ, ˈtaʊ lɪŋ /

noun

a narrow fabric of cotton or linen, in plain, twill, or huck weave, used for hand towels or dishtowels.
Also especially British, tow·el·ling.

Origin of toweling

First recorded in 1575–85; towel + -ing1

Example sentences from the Web for towelling

British Dictionary definitions for towelling (1 of 2)

towelling
/ (ˈtaʊəlɪŋ) /

noun

an absorbent fabric, esp with a nap, used for making towels, bathrobes, etc

British Dictionary definitions for towelling (2 of 2)

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

Idioms and Phrases with towelling

towel

see crying towel; throw in the sponge (towel).