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tea towel

American  

noun

  • tea towels
    plural
  1. a dishtowel.


tea towel British  

noun

  1. US name: dishtowel.  a towel for drying dishes and kitchen utensils

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of tea towel

First recorded in 1870–75

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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A textile artist from north-west London says she is "so so so happy" after a box containing 206 pieces of her tea towel art display was returned, after she thought it had been lost.

From BBC Jul. 2, 2026

Place in a large oiled bowl, turning to lightly coat, cover with a tea towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

From Salon Mar. 12, 2024

Ms Ellis said her mother was so afraid of damaging the intricate golden statue, a winged woman holding an atom, that she carried it about in "a bag for life wrapped in a tea towel".

From BBC Jan. 20, 2024

Remove bowl from mixer, cover with a tea towel or plate, and rest dough for 20 minutes.

From Seattle Times Nov. 21, 2023

We squabble in whispers and monosyllables about whose turn it is to wash: drying with a clammy tea towel isn’t as good as washing, which warms up your hands.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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