dishtowel

American  

[dish-tou-uhl] / ˈdɪʃˌtaʊ əl /

noun

1. a towel for drying dishes.

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dishtowel British  

/ ˈdɪʃˌtaʊəl /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): tea towel.  a towel for drying dishes and kitchen utensils

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Etymology

Origin of dishtowel

First recorded in 1865–70; dish + towel

Compare meaning

How does dishtowel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• tea towel vs. dishtowel

Example Sentences

Cover with a dishtowel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm, draft-free place until the dough has doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

From Washington Times • Dec. 12, 2023

Or fashion your own sheath, even if it’s just a dishtowel secured with rubber bands.

From Washington Post • Nov. 15, 2019

Porter’s mother went into a closet and pulled down an object wrapped in a thinning dishtowel.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 22, 2016

The taste is polarizing too—with comparisons ranging from “someone wrung out a dishtowel into a glass” to “succulent cake batter.”

From Slate • Aug. 3, 2016

He took the dishtowel and held it tight between his fists.

From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon