towel

▪ I. towel, n.
    (ˈtaʊəl)
    Forms: see below.
    [ME. towaille, -aile, etc., a. OF. toaille (Wace 12th c.), toaile, mod.F. touaille = Pr. toalha, Cat. tovalla, Sp. toalla, Pg. toalha, It. tovaglia (whence F., in spec. sense, tavaïolle); in med.L. toacula, toailla, tovalia, toualia, etc., from the mod. langs.: f. WGer. *þwahljô (Kluge), OHG. dwahilla, -ila, cloth for washing or wiping (MHG. dwähele, twähele, dwêle, Ger. dial. zwehle napkin), f. OHG. dwahan, twahan (OS. thwahan, Goth. þwahan, OE. þwéan to wash, þwéal (Goth. þwahl washing).]
    1. a. A cloth, usually of linen or hemp, for wiping something dry, esp. for wiping the hands, face, or person after washing or bathing. Also formerly more widely, including a table-napkin or other cloth used at meals.
    Often with prefix indicating its particular use, as bath-towel, dish-towel, face-towel, glass-towel.
    (α) 3–5 towaille, 4 touwayle, (thoayle, thoyale), 4–5 towaile, -ayle, 5 tow-, touaylle, towail, -ayl, -ayle (tavayle).

a 1300 Floriz & Bl. 563 Þat oþer bringe towaille and bacin For to wasse his honden in. 13.. Sir Beues (A.) 3220 On a towaile ȝhe [= she] made knotte riding. 13.. Shoreham i. 1387 Þo hym wyþ a schete [marg. touwayle] ihesus After soper bygerte. c 1386 Chaucer Monk's T. 755 And Phebus eek a fair towaille [v.rr. towayle, towail, towale, towel] hym broughte To dryen hym with. 1395 Will of Thornholm (Comm. Crt. London), Thoayle w{supt} a blak lyst, borthcloth cum vna thoyale accordyngg. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xxiii. 250 Whan þei han eten, þei wypen hire hondes vpon hire skirtes, for þei vse non naperye, ne towaylles. c 1435 Chron. London (Kingsford 1905) 18 The goode Duk off Gloucetre..was ffoule mordred at Caleys with ij Tovaylles..putte aboute his nekke. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 498/2 Towayl (H. towayle or tavayle)..manitergium. c 1450 Merlin 225 The maiden her-silf wosh his visage..and dried it full softely with a towaile. 1480 Wardr. Acc. Edw. IV (1830) 131 Towails playne vj.

    (β) 3 towele, 4–5 touel, 4–6 towelle, -all, 4–7 towell, (5 toual, towale, towylle, 6 touall, towle); 4– towel.

? 1284 Toweles [see 2]. 13.. Seuyn Sag. (W.) 3877 Thai set forth water and towell, Herkens now, how if befell! 13.. Touel [see quot. a 1300 in γ]. 1378 in Test. Karl. (1893) 118, ij lectos, ij dorclaes, ij towels. 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love ii. ii. (Skeat) l. 62 On his meate borde there shall been borde clothes and towelles many paire. 1407–8 Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 607, liiij uln. panni linei emp...pro towales. 1466 Maldon, Essex, Crt.-Rolls (Bundle 42, No. 6), Towylles. 1542 Towle [see 2]. 1557 Lanc. Wills (Chetham Soc.) I. 71 The best bason and ewer and also the best towall. 15.. in Laneham's Let. (1871) Pref. 31 Ane touall off Alifyne. 1609 B. Jonson Sil. Wom. iv. v, I will strangle him in this towell. a 1658 Cleveland Mary's Spikenard 31 For a Towel he shall have My hair, such flax as nature gave. 1718 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to C'tess of Mar 10 Mar., After dinner, water was brought in a gold basin, and towels of the same kind of the napkins. 1808 Med. Jrnl. XIX. 112 His body to be well rubbed by two persons with coarse towels. 1897 M. Kingsley W. Africa 563 Wading across to the bank, I wring out my skirts, but what is life without a towel?

    (γ) 4 tueil, 4–5 tuel, -ell, 5 tuayl(e, -ale, tewelle, 5–6 tewell, (8–9 Sc. and north. dial. tooel, tool).

a 1300 Cursor M. 15285 (Cott.) Wit a tuell he belted him [G. tuel, F. touel, T. twaile]. Ibid. 15299 Wit his tueil efterward Þair fete he weped clene. c 1450 Brut ccxli. 352 Þai..caste þe tewellys aboute þe Dukis nek..and þan þei drowen her towellis eche wayez. 1494 in Somerset Medieval Wills (1901) 323 A Mete cloth and iij tuels. 1496 Tuell, 1504 Tewell [see 2]. 1727 P. Walker Life R. Cameron in Biog. Presbyt. (1827) I. 202 He dried his face and hands with a Tool. 1905 Eng. Dial. Dict. s.v., Westmld. Tooel.

    (δ) 3–4 twayle, 5 twaylle, twaile, 6 twell.

a 1300 Twayle [see 2]. a 1375 Joseph Arim. 285 Þenne comen two Angeles wiþ twayles white. a 1425 Twaile [see quot. a 1300 in γ]. 1507 Twell [see 2].

    (ε) 5 towaly, twaly, tualy.

c 1440 Promp. Parv. 498/2 Towayl, or towaly (S. twaly.., A. tuayl or tualy), manitergium.

    b. Phr. to throw (chuck, or toss) in the towel: to admit defeat. orig. Boxing. Cf. sponge n.¹ 1 c.

1915 E. Corri 30 Yrs. Boxing Ref. 223 In the nineteenth round Storbeck's seconds ‘threw the towel’ in literally. 1916 C. J. Dennis Moods of Ginger Mick 132 I've done me limit, an' tossed in the tow'l. 1923 Wodehouse Inimit. Jeeves xv. 192 He had found the going too hard and had chucked in the towel. 1952 [see dingo v.]. 1979 M. Russell Touchdown ii. 90 ‘Don't give up.’.. ‘Have no fear... I shan't throw in the towel, I promise you.’

    2. Applied to cloths for various other purposes. a. Eccl. A cloth, either of linen for use at communion, or of silk or other rich material for covering the altar at other times; also, a communion-cloth (see quot. 1737, and quot. 1866 s.v. communion 8). Cf. F. tavaïolle. ? Obs.

? 1284 in Shropsh. Archæol. Soc. Trans. (1878) I. 358 Item ij. Toweles pro ij. altariis cum apparatu precii xij s. iiij d. a 1300 in Hearne Collect. 18 Apr. II. 187 Tham that this Cherche, honour with book, with bell, with vestiments, with twayle. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) V. 11 No womman schulde handle þe towayles of þe auȝter. 1474 Will of Selly (Somerset Ho.), Howseling towell. 1496 Croscombe Churchw. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.) 21 A tuell of dyapper. 1504 Ibid. 27, ij tewells. 1507 Ibid. 29 A twell of dyaper. 1542 in Archæologia XLVI. 217 Paid for a new dextclothe & a towle xj d. c 1550 in Labarte's Arts Mid. Ages ii. (1855) 91 A blest towell for the high altar, of black silk. 1623 Primer in Month Oct. (1911) 340 If any be to communicate at Mass, the Servitour after the Priest hath taken the Chalice and before he purifieth it, spreadeth a towel or a white vele before them and then sayeth Confiteor Deo in their name. 1737 Challoner Cath. Chr. Instr. (1753) 66 Such of the people as are to communicate,..taking the Towel, hold it before their Breasts, in such Manner, that, if in communicating, it should happen that any Particle should fall, it may..be received upon the Towel.

    † b. A cloth used as a part of dress, e.g. as a head-dress, a girdle, etc. Obs.

? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 161 Hir heed y-writhen was, y-wis, Ful grymly with a greet towayle. 1485 Caxton Paris & V. (1868) 80 Mantellys and towellys. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. xii. 29 b, The King of Mylynde came..to our Fleete, apparelled in a Cassocke of Crimson Damaske, lined with greene satten, hauing vpon his head a rich towell. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 63 Shashes are long towels of Callico wound about their heads. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 146 The coat..ingirted with a towell of silke and gold eight or nine yards long.

    c. = sanitary towel s.v. sanitary a. 3. Also ellipt.

1896 Eng. Illustr. Mag. Aug. (Advts. Section) 8/2 A sample of the improved ‘towel’ will be sent free to any lady applying to the Lady Manager. 1907 Yesterday's Shopping (1969) 1264 Full-sized towels reduced by pressure, packed in tiny boxes. 1979 Guardian 27 Mar. 9/5 A campaign for free sanitary protection through the NHS started in 1973 when the Government imposed VAT on towels and tampons.

    3. slang. oaken towel, also simply towel, a stick, cudgel (cf. next, 2); lead towel, a bullet.

1739 Joe Miller's Jests (1745) 73 The Farmer..rear'd his Oaken Towel, and..gave him two..Drubs on the Shoulder. 1748 Smollett Rod. Rand. ii, I shall rub you down with an oaken towel. 1756 W. Toldervy Hist. 2 Orphans II. 128 Brandishing his stick [he] cried aloud, ‘this towel..should bastinado the bones of that rascal Tom Throw’. 1812 H. & J. Smith Rej. Addr., G. Barnwell vi, Make Nunky surrender his dibs, Rub his pate with a pair of lead towels. 1815 Hist. Jn. Decastro I. 24 Old Crab..raising his oaken towel gave the door three bangs that shook the garrets.

    4. attrib. and Comb., as towel-coffer, towel friction, towel-maker, towel-room, towel-warmer; towel-covered adj.; towel-gourd, a name for Luffa ægyptiaca and L. acutangula, also called sponge-gourd or washing-gourd, the fibrous inner layer of the fruit being used in washing like a towel or sponge (cf. loofah); towel-horse, a wooden frame or stand on which towels are hung; towel-pattern (Wood-carving) = linen-scroll: see linen B. 5; towel-rack (see quot.); towel rail, ring, a rail or ring on which to hang towels; towel-roller, a horizontal roller on which an ‘endless’ towel (roller- or round-towel) is hung.

c 1400 Sc. Troy-bk. i. 375 Cowpis out brought of golde sa clere, One *towalle burdys arayit & drest.

1891 G. Meredith One of our Conq. ix, The oaken *towel-coffer.

1916 H. G. Wells Mr. Britling sees it Through i. i. 19 A *towel-covered can of hot water. 1947 Nation 22 Feb. 214/1 The crooked towel-covered table.

1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 1031 Spongings..followed by dry *towel friction.

1872 Oliver Elem. Bot. ii. 176 The fibrous inner layer of the pericarp of the *Towel-Gourd..is used as sponge and gun-wadding.

1833 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Cottage, Farm, & Villa Archit. 349 A *Towel Horse has generally one rail at top... It..should..be painted, for the reasons given when speaking of fixed towel rails. 1860 H. F. Tozer in Vac. Tour. 386 Hay hanging to dry on large hurdles strongly resembling a gigantic towel-horse. [Cf. 1541 Aberdeen Regr. XVII. (Jam.), Ane towall ross of aik worcht v ss.] 1878 Huxley Physiogr. 67 The damp towel on which you have just wiped your wet hands does not stand long on the towel-horse before it becomes dry again.

1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Mantelero, a *towell maker.

1877 Knight Dict. Mech., *Towel-rack, a frame or rod on which to hang towels to dry.

1833 *Towel rail [see towel-horse above]. 1961 Times 24 July 13/5 The civilized English custom of having heated towel-rails has not reached the United States.

1895 Montgomery Ward Catal. Spring & Summer 126/3 *Towel Ring. Consists of polished hard⁓wood ring with brass chain and hook. 1977 Times 30 July 10/6 Rough towels..towel rings..and all manner of taps.

1833 Loudon Encycl. Archit. §609 A *Towel Roller ought to be placed on the back of the kitchen-door of every cottage.

a 1619 Fletcher Wit without M. iv. v, Allow you but a *towel-room to tipple in.

1884 Health Exhib. Catal. 94/2 Hot linen closet, and *towel warmer.

▪ II. ˈtowel, v.
    [f. prec. n.]
    1. a. trans. To apply a towel to; to rub or dry with a towel.

1836–9 Dickens Sk. Boz, Ladies' Societies, The children were yellow-soaped and flannelled, and towelled, till their faces shone again. 1886 D. C. Murray 1st Pers. Singular xix, Zeno..was towelling himself before the mirror. 1894 A. Morrison Mean Streets 15 Solemn little faces towelled to a polish.

    b. intr. (with at).

1861 Dickens Gt. Expect. xxvi, Letting his head drop into a festoon of towel, and towelling away at his two ears. 1865 ― Mut. Fr. i. vi.

    c. absol. for refl. Also with down, off.

1972 M. Crichton Terminal Man iv. ii. 141 One of the girls got out of the pool lithely and began toweling off. 1977 P. Moyes To kill Coconut viii. 118 Emmy emerged from the shower, towelling vigorously. 1977 G. Fisher Villain of Piece iii. 29, I towelled down, dressed.

    2. slang. To beat, cudgel, thrash. (Cf. prec. 3.) Also (Austral.) with up; also fig.

1705 J. Dunton Life & Errors (1818) I. ix. 356, I would towel him myself..if I did not think him an honest man. 1824 in Spirit Pub. Jrnls. (1825) 164, I shouldn't have towelled her if she hadn't tempted me to it! 1903 Sir M. G. Gerard Leaves fr. Diaries vi. 182 He caught him by the collar and towelled him down with a cutting whip. 1941 Baker Dict. Austral. Slang 78 Towel up, to, to beat, thrash. 1951 Cusack & James Come in Spinner 372, I think you deserve the V.C. for the way you towelled Old Mole up. 1973 A. Buzo Rooted 42 Gary got his big serve working, I chipped in at the net and we were laughing. Towelled them up in no time.

    3. To cover with a towel or towels.

1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. iii. iv, I mean to apron it and towel it all over the front.

    Hence ˈtowelled ppl. a., wrapped in a towel.

1920 T. S. Eliot Ara Vus Prec 23 Doris towelled from the bath Enters padding on broad feet. 1940 G. Arthur Concerning W. S. Churchill 8 Standing at the edge of a deep swimming pool a junior boy mistook a towelled, stocky figure for a contemporary and playfully pushed him into the water. 1978 C. Tomlinson Shaft 3 The towelled head next.

▪ III. towel
    obs. form of tewel.

Oxford English Dictionary