napkin

noun

nap·​kin ˈnap-kən 

1

: a piece of material (such as cloth or paper) used at table to wipe the lips or fingers and protect the clothes

2

: a small cloth or towel: such as

a

dialectal British : handkerchief

b

chiefly Scotland : kerchief

c

chiefly British : diaper sense 3

3

: sanitary napkin

Examples of napkin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Mitchell, who broke out on small screens during her seven-season arc on hit teen soap Pretty Little Liars, needed help turning her rough napkins sketches into a business. —Natalie Jarvey, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2025

But this season, almost everyone who has actually made it to the weddings feels about as interesting as a damp cocktail napkin. —Laura Bradley, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025

These come in cloth napkins for a tasteful tabletop too. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2025

How the back of the napkin math works for Eden is that the $55M production cost was reduced down to a net $35M production cost thanks to soft money from Australian tax credits. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nappekin, from nape tablecloth, from Anglo-French, from Latin mappa napkin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing napkin

• sanitary napkin

Kids Definition

napkin

noun

nap·​kin ˈnap-kən 

1

: a small square of cloth or paper used during a meal to wipe the lips or fingers and protect the clothes

2

: a small cloth or towel

Etymology

Middle English nappekin "napkin," from nappe "tablecloth," derived from Latin mappa "napkin" — related to apron, map

Medical Definition

napkin

noun

nap·​kin ˈnap-kən 

1

chiefly British : diaper

2

: sanitary napkin