tea towel
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of tea towel
First recorded in 1870–75
Compare meaning
How does tea-towel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
My one good spatula had gone missing under a tea towel stiff with dough.
From Salon • Oct. 14, 2025
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
In terms of tea towel hygiene, you should clean and thoroughly dry your kitchen towel at least once a day or after each use.
From Salon • Jun. 29, 2023
It was pitiful to see the way Winky clutched at her tea towel as she sobbed over Mr. Crouch’s feet.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
