napkin
Americannoun
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napkins
plural
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a small piece of cloth or paper, usually square, for use in wiping the lips and fingers and to protect the clothes while eating.
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Chiefly British. a diaper.
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Scot. and North England. a handkerchief.
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Scot. a kerchief or neckerchief.
noun
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Also called: table napkin. a usually square piece of cloth or paper used while eating to protect the clothes, wipe the mouth, etc; serviette
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rare a similar piece of cloth used for example as a handkerchief or headscarf
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a more formal name for nappy 1
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a less common term for sanitary towel
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of napkin
1350–1400; Middle English, equivalent to nape tablecloth (< Middle French nappe < Latin mappa napkin) + -kin; cf. map
Explanation
A napkin is a piece of cloth used for wiping your mouth while you're eating or drinking. Your grandmother might insist that everyone put their napkins in their laps before dinner is served. You can use the word napkin for a fancy linen cloth or a cheap paper one, although in many English-speaking countries it's instead called a "serviette." Napkins have been around since ancient Rome, while some stories have the ancient Greeks using pieces of bread as napkins. The invention of paper napkins dates back to China in the second century BCE. Napkin comes from the now-obsolete nape, "tablecloth."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I am certainly glad I had a napkin at hand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
According to Terekh, the first ideas for what would become the FP-1 drone were sketched on a napkin in their favourite restaurant in late 2022.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
A bowl of pantry pasta that might otherwise look a little lonely suddenly looks downright lavish when it’s surrounded by warm rolls, a dish of olive oil and a basket lined with a linen napkin.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
Contrary to popular legend, the diagram was not sketched on a napkin by Walt Disney himself, but rather by a Disney studio artist who created it for the story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Mr. Larkin swallows, wipes his mouth on his napkin.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
This has enabled Italian brand Regina, for example, to switch from plastic to paper packaging for its hygiene products like toilet roll, kitchen paper and napkins.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me,” she wrote in a since-deleted 2019 social-media post.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
The group tackled Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” with Lopez leading the singing as her family and friends joined in—while waving their napkins in the air and banging on the tables.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
He twisted a napkin, tossed it into the pile of twisted napkins next to his coffee cup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026
He reached in the pocket of his overcoat and pulled out a bundle wrapped in napkins.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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