finger bowl

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noun

a small bowl to hold water for rinsing the fingers at table.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of finger bowl

First recorded in 1855–60

Words nearby finger bowl

finfoot, fin-footed, Fingal's Cave, finger, fingerboard, finger bowl, fingerbreadth, finger buffet, fingered, fingerflower, finger food

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use finger bowl in a sentence

A finger-bowl stood above the plate, and this was left on all through the luncheon.
Living on a Little|Caroline French Benton
If fruit is the first course, there should be at each place a fruit-plate with a doily, finger-bowl, and fruit-knife on it.
The Expert Maid-Servant|Cristine Terhune Herrick
Then the dessert plates, arranged with finger bowl, doily and silver are brought from the sideboard.
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping|Elizabeth Hale Gilman
The doily beneath the finger bowl is not meant for use, but should be laid on the table beside the finger bowl.
The Etiquette of To-day|Edith B. Ordway

Cleigh, sighing contentedly, dipped his fingers into the finger bowl and brushed his lips.
The Pagan Madonna|Harold MacGrath

British Dictionary definitions for finger bowl

finger bowl

noun

a small bowl filled with water for rinsing the fingers at the table after a meal

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012