napkin
/ˈnæpˌkɪn/ noun
Forms napkins
- noun A serviette; a (usually rectangular) piece of cloth or paper used at the table for wiping the mouth and hands for cleanliness while eating.
- noun (UK, South Africa) A nappy (UK), a diaper (American).
- noun A small scarf worn on the head by Christian women (chiefly Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) when entering a church, as a token of modesty.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English napekyn, napkyn, equivalent to nape (“cloth”) + -kin (diminutive suffix).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A little towel, or small cloth, esp. one for wiping the fingers and mouth at table.
- noun A handkerchief. [Obs.] Shak. Napkin pattern. See Linen scroll, under Linen.
Etymology [Dim. of OF. nape a tablecloth, cloth, F. nappe, L. mappa. See Napery.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “napkin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details