tissue paper

American

noun

a very thin, almost transparent paper used for wrapping delicate articles, covering illustrations in books, copying letters, etc.

tissue paper British

noun

very thin soft delicate paper used to wrap breakable goods, as decoration, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of tissue paper

First recorded in 1770–80

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.

Bamboo-based tissue paper from China has become a popular option among consumers seeking eco-friendly products.

From Science Daily • Nov. 3, 2025

Most of it is made from paper and disposable plastic and biodegradable this and that, so we’ll just start using paper towels and tissue paper and spray everything down with Clorox.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2025

Or the time Si put chips on blue tissue paper to dry and it dyed them blue.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2024

Gigantic water tanks were crumbled up like tissue paper.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2023

There was tissue paper lying on the floor, and an old label.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023