napkin ring

American  

noun

1. a ring or band of metal, wood, plastic, etc., through which a folded napkin is inserted, often as part of a place setting.

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Etymology

Origin of napkin ring

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

“I love tucking rosemary sprigs in the napkin ring, or even as the ring itself. It looks and smells lovely.”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 27, 2023

Sure, we may have thought to tuck a rosemary sprig into an existing napkin ring, but why not take it a step further and make the napkin ring itself from the herb?

From Salon • Nov. 20, 2021

Vsauce has a fun video about the napkin ring problem, a surprising application of the technique.

From Scientific American • Jan. 6, 2018

Creative Time was enthusiastic: “I love the idea of being able to buy things at different price points,” one staffer said, “like a napkin ring by Ai Weiwei!”

From The New Yorker • Mar. 13, 2017

He picked up his wooden napkin ring and thrust his forefinger through it.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck