napkin
a small piece of cloth or paper, usually square, for use in wiping the lips and fingers and to protect the clothes while eating.
Chiefly British. a diaper.
Scot. and North England. a handkerchief.
Scot. a kerchief or neckerchief.
Origin of napkin
1Words Nearby napkin
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use napkin in a sentence
That these infinities are not the same was proved in the late 19th century by Georg Cantor in a manner so simple, you could sketch it out to your friends on a bar napkin.
How I Escaped My Troubles Through Science - Issue 104: Harmony | Subodh Patil | August 25, 2021 | NautilusWhen Pat died there were boxes and suitcases full of neatly folded napkins.
In ‘Swan Song,’ Todd Stephens gives a fabulous queer elder his due | John Paul King | August 12, 2021 | Washington BladeFew restaurants listen when you tell them you don’t need napkins and utensils.
Sisters Thai in Potomac reminds us that food isn’t everything | Tom Sietsema | April 23, 2021 | Washington PostAlso, I use way too many paper towels, so I bought cloth napkins and dish towels.
Returning to his home in a clock tower he finds a number written on a napkin belonging to a love interest.
‘Genesis Noir’: A stunning game about love, murder, joy and the Big Bang | Christopher Byrd | April 12, 2021 | Washington Post
And if trickle-down could start on a dinner napkin, surely the process of reversing its malignant effects can start with a book.
Real Vs. Republican Populism: How to Win the War on Inequality | Michael Tomasky | April 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTShe wrote down her phone number on a bar napkin and told him to call her sometime.
Maple wrote down on a napkin strategies that he promised would cut homicides in half within two years.
Can Bill Bratton Solve De Blasio’s NYPD Dilemma? | Michael Daly | December 5, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTI went to accept the award, and I was still holding my dinner napkin in my hand.
How I Write: James McBride, The New National Book Award Winner For Fiction | Noah Charney | December 4, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTOne of my favorite early memories at Facebook was planning the back-to-school campaign with Mike on the back of a napkin.
Randi Zuckerberg: How I Learned to Balance Business and Creativity | Randi Zuckerberg | November 4, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTHe was quick to observe and nothing escaped him, from the improvised candlesticks to the napkin by his china plate.
The Cromptons | Mary J. HolmesHe remembered the log-house and his supper, when Mandy Ann served from a dinner-plate, and his napkin was a pocket handkerchief.
The Cromptons | Mary J. HolmesIt is well to carry in your pocket a small pincushion, and, having unfolded your napkin, to pin it at the belt.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence HartleyYou may wipe off the worst of the spot with your napkin, and then let it pass without further notice.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence HartleyThe table-cloth was full of stains, and, in lieu of a napkin, each guest was at liberty to use his handkerchief.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida Pfeiffer
British Dictionary definitions for napkin
/ (ˈnæpkɪn) /
Also called: table napkin a usually square piece of cloth or paper used while eating to protect the clothes, wipe the mouth, etc; serviette
rare a similar piece of cloth used for example as a handkerchief or headscarf
a more formal name for nappy 1
a less common term for sanitary towel
Origin of napkin
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
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