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
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use towel in a sentence
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, place on a sheet pan, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Of course, the loud buzzing of such drones and towels being blown away would have been a dead giveaway to the pool girls.
Anatomy of a Drone Porn: ‘Drone Boning’ Makes Sex Look Like Art | Aurora Snow | November 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTPrisoners are given uniforms, towels and basic hygiene kits upon intake, but forced to purchase just about everything else.
‘Progressive Jail’ Is a 21st-Century Hell, Inmates Complain | Sarah Shourd | September 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnother faux pas: tourists sit on towels and locals never do (they sit on their sarongs or on beach chairs).
The Girl From Ipanema Is Not Alone: Rio’s Famous Beach Is A Rich, Cultural Kaleidoscope | Brandon Presser | June 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt insists on efficiency standards for household appliances so that your towels come out of the dryer refreshingly cool and damp.
The Federal Government Has Violated My Right to Chainsaw | P. J. O’Rourke | April 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Dey's squar little towels what you holds in yer lap to wipe yer fingers on when you've done eatin'.
The Cromptons | Mary J. HolmesShe peered around the room for the last time, and then dropped two small clean towels and a cake of soap into the bag.
The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler WarnerMariequita ran over to Victor's room, and returned with some towels, which she gave to Edna.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinSo the boys took the dish towels and helped dry the dishes, without any accidents.
Seven O'Clock Stories | Robert Gordon AndersonIf I were a woman and wanted to win a man, I should make him take me shopping when he needed new towels!
The Idyl of Twin Fires | Walter Prichard Eaton
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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