handkerchief

noun

hand·​ker·​chief ˈhaŋ-kər-chəf 

-(ˌ)chif,

-ˌchēf

plural handkerchiefs also handkerchieves ˈhaŋ-kər-chəfs 

-(ˌ)chifs,

-ˌchēvz,

-ˌchēfs,

-chəvz,

-(ˌ)chivz

1

: a small usually square piece of cloth used for usually personal purposes (such as blowing the nose) or as a clothing accessory

2

: kerchief sense 1

Synonyms

• madras
• bandana
• bandanna

Examples of handkerchief in a Sentence

tied a handkerchief around her head and set about cleaning out the dust-covered attic

usually dries her hands on her handkerchief when there are no towels available

Recent Examples on the Web

Shortly after, officers on Dudley Street saw a man — later identified as Cowart — wearing a Hawaiian shirt and carrying a red handkerchief. —Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 4 Aug. 2025

His second outfit consisted of a gray suit, the blazer accessorized with a handkerchief, a white shirt and pointed-toe boots. —Michelle Lee, People.com, 10 June 2025

Wiping the sweat from his forehead with his handkerchief, Tibbets could make out a variety of scrawled messages; one declared, To Emperor Hirohito, from the Boys of the Indianapolis. —Literary Hub, 24 July 2025

Madison Mogen's father, Ben, looked agitated and was breathing heavily, rubbing his eyes with a handkerchief. —Nbc News, NBC news, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

handkerchief

noun

hand·​ker·​chief ˈhaŋ-kər-chəf 

-(ˌ)chif,

-ˌchēf

plural handkerchiefs also handkerchieves -chəfs 

-(ˌ)chifs,

-ˌchēvz,

-ˌchēfs,

-ˌchəvz,

-ˌchivz

1

: a small piece of cloth used for wiping the face, nose, or eyes

2

: kerchief sense 1