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

Thick blue cotton is traditional, but a dishtowel, or a square cut from an old shirt will be fine.

From Slate • Jul. 22, 2019

She reached for a thin blue dishtowel, and wiped tears from her eyes.

From The Guardian • Jul. 4, 2015

She covered the bread basket with a dishtowel that had, he suddenly noticed, the Ten Commandments printed on it.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri