towel
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
-
a square or rectangular piece of absorbent cloth or paper used for drying the body
-
a similar piece of cloth used for drying plates, cutlery, etc
-
See throw in
verb
-
to dry or wipe with a towel
-
slang to assault or beat (a person)
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
towelsimple
-
towelssimple
-
have toweledperfect
-
have towelledperfect
-
has toweledperfect
-
has towelledperfect
-
am towelingprogressive
-
am towellingprogressive
-
are towelingprogressive
-
are towellingprogressive
-
is towelingprogressive
-
is towellingprogressive
-
have been towelingperfect progressive
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have been towellingperfect progressive
-
has been towelingperfect progressive
-
has been towellingperfect progressive
Past
-
toweledsimple
-
towelledsimple
-
had toweledperfect
-
had towelledperfect
-
was towelingprogressive
-
was towellingprogressive
-
were towelingprogressive
-
were towellingprogressive
-
had been towelingperfect progressive
-
had been towellingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
When you get out of the shower, the first thing you do is grab a towel and dry off. A towel is a piece of material that's used to absorb moisture. Towels come in many sizes and styles, from enormous terrycloth beach towels to sheets of paper towel you use for wiping up kitchen spills. What they have in common is absorbency—they're made to soak up liquids. You can also use towel as a verb: "The dog is soaking wet! Towel her off before you let her on your bed!" And when you've utterly given up on something, use the boxing-related phrase "throw in the towel."
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.
But, more pertinently, Hegseth’s fear of the phrase “diversity is our strength,” an idiom so blandly inoffensive you can probably find it embroidered on a hand towel at T.J.
From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026
“I want to feel the quality of the towel or bath mat,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
"Today I sit here, tomorrow I stand there," said engineering graduate Rani N., 21, on a break from filming herself, once again, folding a towel.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
"You never give up. No matter the situation you never give up, never throw the towel in."
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Katherine announced brightly, as she dodged him to head back to her room, her hair wrapped in a towel.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
