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

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

Some fell vertically like the traditional jabot, and others encircled her neck like a lace doily.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2020

But there’s nothing old-fashioned about a few heartfelt lines written out on a piece of paper — doily optional.

From Washington Post • Feb. 11, 2020

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

The back of her head was resting on a white embroidered doily.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

Related Words

• cloth
• towel