towel

1 of 2

noun

tow·​el ˈtau̇(-ə)l 

: an absorbent cloth or paper for wiping or drying

towel

2 of 2

verb

toweled or towelled; toweling or towelling

transitive verb

: to rub or dry (something, such as the body) with a towel

intransitive verb

: to use a towel to dry oneself

toweled down after swimming

Examples of towel in a Sentence

Noun

She dried her hair with a towel.

Here's a towel to wipe up the spill.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Lee continued to work on high-profile cases, but in 2020, a state judge vacated the 1985 murder convictions of two men who had been found guilty in part based on testimony about what Lee said at the time were bloodstains on a towel. —ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026

The facility’s employees didn’t know the correct dishwashing procedure, holding temperature requirements and wiping towels handling procedure. —Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026

Verb

Half an hour later, Jackson sat in the locker room, towel over his head and face, speaking in a virtual whisper. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2026

This inevitably will lead to someone using a rag or towel to wipe the surface, which then leads to swirl marks and hazing, just like on paint, making the shiny piano black plastic dull at best. —Joel Feder, The Drive, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English towaille, from Anglo-French tuaille, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German dwahila towel; akin to Old High German dwahan to wash

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1839, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing towel

• beach towel
• dish towel
• hand towel
• kitchen towel
• paper towel
• roller towel
• tea towel
• throw in the towel
• towel bar
• towel rack
• towel rail
• Turkish towel

Rhymes for towel

• bowel
• dowel
• howel
• howell
• vowel
• avowal
• disavowal

Kids Definition

towel

1 of 2 noun

tow·​el ˈtau̇(-ə)l 

: a cloth or piece of absorbent paper for wiping or drying

towel

2 of 2 verb

toweled or towelled; toweling or towelling

: to rub or dry with a towel : use a towel to dry off

Medical Definition

towel

noun

tow·​el ˈtau̇(-ə)l 

1

: an absorbent cloth or paper for wiping or drying

2

British : sanitary napkin