towel

American  

[tou-uhl, toul] / ˈtaʊ əl, taʊl /

noun

1. an absorbent cloth or paper for wiping and drying something wet, as one for the hands, face, or body after washing or bathing.

---

verb (used with object)

toweled, toweling, towelled, towelling

1. to wipe or dry with a towel.

idioms

1. throw in the towel, to concede defeat; give up; yield.

   He vowed he would never throw in the towel.

towel British  

/ ˈtaʊəl /

noun

1. a square or rectangular piece of absorbent cloth or paper used for drying the body

2. a similar piece of cloth used for drying plates, cutlery, etc

3. See throw in

---

verb

1. to dry or wipe with a towel

2. slang to assault or beat (a person)

towel More Idioms  

1. see crying towel; throw in the sponge (towel).

---

Etymology

Origin of towel

1250–1300; Middle English (noun) < Old French toaille cloth for washing or wiping < West Germanic *thwahliō (> Old High German dwahilla, akin to dwahal bath); cognate with Gothic thwahl, thwēal washing

Example Sentences

But it has long contributed to "tanking" -- lowly teams throwing in the towel long before the regular season ends in hopes of landing a franchise-altering player in the draft.

From Barron's

I dry my hair with a towel before twisting it into a braid.

From Literature

That included ferry transportation, open bar, food, towels and lounge chairs by the pool and beach.

From The Wall Street Journal

From a hallway closet, she pulled out pajamas, a towel, and a bathrobe.

From Literature

He took out a waterproof plastic bag with paper towels in it, wiped the sat phone down as best as he could, then put it in the plastic bag.

From Literature

Related Words

• bake
• blot
• deplete
• drain
• empty
• evaporate
• exhaust
• sear
• shrivel
• wilt
• wipe
• wither