Towel

Pronunciation

• enPR: touʹəl
• IPA: /taÊŠl/, /taÊŠÉ™l/
• Rhymes: -aÊŠl, -aÊŠÉ™l

Origin

From Middle English towel, towail, towaille, from Old French toaille ("towel") (Modern French touaille), from Frankish *þwahila ("cloth"), from Proto-Germanic *þwahilō ("wash-cloth", literally, "something used for washing"), from Proto-Germanic *þwahaną ("to wash"), from Proto-Indo-European *tʷak- ("to bathe"). Cognate with Old High German dwahila ("towel") (Modern German dialectal Zwehle), Dutch dwaal ("towel"), dweil ("mop"), Old English þwēan ("to wash").

Noun

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

Derived terms

Full definition of towel

Verb

1. To hit with a towel.
2. To dry by using a towel.He got out of the shower and toweled himself dry.
3. (UK, dialect, obsolete) To beat with a stick.

Derived terms

• untoweled, untowelled

Anagrams

• owlet