What does towel mean?
A towel is a piece of cloth used to absorb water and dry the hands, face, or body, or to wipe a surface. Kitchen towels are used for drying dishes, wiping counters, and handling food, while bath towels and hand towels have more specialized household uses. Towel can also be a verb: to towel something means to dry it with a towel, and to towel off means to dry sweat or moisture from the skin. The word is familiar in every English-speaking region, although small differences in vocabulary exist: British speakers commonly say tea towel for a kitchen cloth, while American speakers more often say dish towel. Towels are also associated with hospitality, comfort, travel, and everyday routines, from hotel rooms and beaches to gyms and sports. Its simple form and broad range of uses make it one of the most immediately recognizable household nouns.
A piece of absorbent cloth used for drying the hands, face, or body, or for wiping surfaces.
"He left the wet towel on the back of the door."
The word is standard in British and American English. For a kitchen cloth, British English often uses tea towel, while American English commonly uses dish towel.
To dry or wipe something with a towel, especially by rubbing it.
"She toweled her wet hair after coming in from the rain."
The verb is informal and commonly used with off, as in towel off, to describe drying sweat from the body.
The standard plural is towels; it is used for multiple pieces of cloth and in the third-person singular of the verb.
"The hotel provided fresh towels every morning."
The word has traveled from medieval English into modern kitchens, bathrooms, hotels, and countless everyday routines, while its deepest origin remains uncertain.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does towel come from?
The word entered Middle English from Anglo-French towel, with the modern English form established by the early medieval period. Anglo-French itself drew on medieval Latin forms related to tovalia, a term for a cloth or piece of fabric. The ultimate origin of the word is uncertain, although proposals have linked it to Germanic roots; related forms in several European languages reflect the same broad cloth-related tradition.
Related word forms
How towel is actually used
In British English, a small kitchen cloth is often called a tea towel; in American English, dish towel or dishcloth is more common. As a verb, towel is informal but widely accepted, and towel off is especially common for drying sweat.
Easily confused with towel
A towel is a piece of absorbent fabric used for drying or wiping, whereas tow is fiber, especially flax or hemp, used in making rope or textiles.