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Synonyms

handkerchief

American  
[hang-ker-chif, -cheef] / ˈhæŋ kər tʃɪf, -ˌtʃif /

noun

  1. a small piece of linen, silk, or other fabric, usually square, and used especially for wiping one's nose, eyes, face, etc., or for decorative purposes.

  2. a neckerchief or kerchief.

handkerchief British  
/ ˈhæŋkətʃɪf, -tʃiːf /

noun

  1. a small square of soft absorbent material, such as linen, silk, or soft paper, carried and used to wipe the nose, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of handkerchief

First recorded in 1520–30; hand + kerchief

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.

A man desperately searching for a handkerchief while trying to stifle a sneeze, the world’s oldest magician making a comeback — these hilarious bits require no context.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

Afterwards Nawat appeared at a press conference wearing a tuxedo and openly weeping as he theatrically dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief, claiming he had been "betrayed".

From Barron's • Nov. 6, 2025

Mr. Pärt has referred to music as “the handkerchief for drying my tears of sadness, the source of my tears of joy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

Indeed, using the flag as a handkerchief has at least twice led to courts-martial.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2025

Great-uncle Edisto took a Snowberger’s handkerchief out of his shirt pocket and mopped at his face.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

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.