towel
an absorbent cloth or paper for wiping and drying something wet, as one for the hands, face, or body after washing or bathing.
to wipe or dry with a towel.
Idioms about towel
throw in the towel, Informal. to concede defeat; give up; yield: He vowed he would never throw in the towel.
Origin of towel
1Words Nearby towel
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use towel in a sentence
Keep moving the paper towels to absorb the stain on each area.
If the kids still don’t get on board, she suggests putting a basket where they toss the towels, or even establishing consequences or rewards.
5 simple ways to get your home in order, from ‘Clean Mama’ Becky Rapinchuk | Lindsey Roberts | February 4, 2021 | Washington PostI actually threw in the towel in November, ordering and paying for my bike then.
Next time I go to clean, I take the paper towels off and just wipe off.
Hints From Heloise: Before buying a diamond, learn about the four C’s | Heloise Heloise | February 4, 2021 | Washington PostThoroughly pat the meat dry with paper towels and generously season it with salt and pepper.
Find out why Anthony Bourdain’s boeuf bourguignon is one of our most popular recipes ever | Becky Krystal | January 20, 2021 | Washington Post
Using a heatproof slotted spoon, remove the shallots to a paper towel-lined plate.
Make Carla Hall’s Crispy Shallot Green Bean Casserole | Carla Hall | December 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAllow beans to cool completely then remove to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
Make Carla Hall’s Crispy Shallot Green Bean Casserole | Carla Hall | December 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“They would bend my head back, put a towel over my face and pour water over the towel,” Harrison was quoted as saying.
The Luxury Homes That Torture and Your Tax Dollars Built | Michael Daly | December 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTPlace the stack of phyllo dough sheets on a cutting board and cover it with a slightly damp towel.
Inside the bag, a second body was naked, wrapped in a towel, and almost decapitated.
Hong Kong’s High-Flying British Psycho Killer Suspect | Nico Hines, Tom Sykes | November 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST"Come and get a clean towel," said Jess, who noticed that Benny was already "picking into" his own mouth.
The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler WarnerThe berries were so thick she did not have to change her position before the towel held over a quart.
The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler WarnerShe watched the two children a moment as they dropped handfuls of the bluish globes on the towel.
The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler WarnerIt was reserved for me to open the towel, which I did with no little pride at having the only plum pudding in camp.
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie | George Brenton LaurieI had buttered the towel so that it should not stick to it; it did not, but it did not stick together either.
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie | George Brenton Laurie
British Dictionary definitions for towel
/ (ˈtaʊəl) /
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
throw in the towel See throw in (def. 4)
to dry or wipe with a towel
(often foll by up) Australian slang to assault or beat (a person)
Origin of towel
1Collins 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 Idioms and Phrases with towel
see crying towel; throw in the sponge (towel).
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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