napkin

American  

[nap-kin] / ˈnæp kɪn /

noun

• napkins
  plural

1. a small piece of cloth or paper, usually square, for use in wiping the lips and fingers and to protect the clothes while eating.

2. sanitary napkin.

3. Chiefly British. a diaper.

4. Scot. and North England. a handkerchief.

5. Scot. a kerchief or neckerchief.

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napkin British  

/ ˈnæpkɪn /

noun

1. Also called: table napkin. a usually square piece of cloth or paper used while eating to protect the clothes, wipe the mouth, etc; serviette

2. rare a similar piece of cloth used for example as a handkerchief or headscarf

3. a more formal name for nappy 1

4. a less common term for sanitary towel

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• napkins
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of napkin

1350–1400; Middle English, equivalent to nape tablecloth (< Middle French nappe < Latin mappa napkin) + -kin; cf. map

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Explanation

A napkin is a piece of cloth used for wiping your mouth while you're eating or drinking. Your grandmother might insist that everyone put their napkins in their laps before dinner is served. You can use the word napkin for a fancy linen cloth or a cheap paper one, although in many English-speaking countries it's instead called a "serviette." Napkins have been around since ancient Rome, while some stories have the ancient Greeks using pieces of bread as napkins. The invention of paper napkins dates back to China in the second century BCE. Napkin comes from the now-obsolete nape, "tablecloth."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

napkin napkins

I wiped my hands on my napkin, feeling a sense of clarity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Thankfully, I had taken an extra napkin from the café.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

According to Terekh, the first ideas for what would become the FP-1 drone were sketched on a napkin in their favourite restaurant in late 2022.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

And then, finally, the first agreement to sign Messi—written out on a napkin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

I grabbed the puzzler and wrapped it in a napkin.

From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate

This has enabled Italian brand Regina, for example, to switch from plastic to paper packaging for its hygiene products like toilet roll, kitchen paper and napkins.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The group tackled Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” with Lopez leading the singing as her family and friends joined in—while waving their napkins in the air and banging on the tables.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

Sun’s contribution, for example, a set of printed silk napkins, ended up in the Brooklyn Museum’s permanent collection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026

Fancy cocktail napkins are a big seller, as are specialty jellies in flavors like hot pepper and cinnamon pear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 6, 2025

She pushes the little lever of the box for a straw, yanks a stack of napkins.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

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Related Words

• cloth
• towel

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