doily

American  

[doi-lee] / ˈdɔɪ li /

Or doyley

noun

plural

doilies

1. any small, ornamental mat, as of embroidery or lace.

2. Archaic. a small napkin, as one used during a dessert course.

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doily British  

/ ˈdɔɪlɪ /

noun

1. a decorative mat of lace or lacelike paper, etc, laid on or under plates

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Etymology

Origin of doily

First recorded in 1670–80; named after a London draper of the late 17th century

Explanation

A doily is a decorative piece of cloth or paper that's used on a fancy table, often under a bowl. If your mom's birthday breakfast spread doesn't look festive enough, you can dress it up with some doilies. Some doilies are made of lace, while paper doilies are patterned and cut to resemble lace. You might see a doily underneath a cake, or separating a cup of fruit from the saucer beneath it. The word doily comes from Doiley, the last name of a well-known London dry goods dealer in the 17th century. Originally, the word was an adjective describing suits or fabric, and later, from doily-napkin came the doily we know today.

Example Sentences

On a lace vintage doily, Simpson embroidered the Japanese proverb “Fall seven times, stand up eight,” a fitting metaphor for her metamorphosis as an artist.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2025

Kaur's exhibition includes family photos, an Axminster carpet, a vintage car covered in a giant doily and kinetic handbells.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2024

Chennai Hoppers serves the dish, distinguished by its soft center and edges like a doily, with a mild curry, cardamom-flavored milk and the option of an egg on top.

From Washington Post • May 27, 2021

When the novel begins, in nineteen-sixties England, she is a young homemaker with the personality of a lace doily: decorous, brittle, self-consciously antiquated.

From The New Yorker • May 11, 2019

I set the glass on a doily on the bedside table and turn to leave.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

Related Words

• cloth
• towel