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doily

doily

15 7.2
A small pretty mat made of lace or cloth placed under a plate to protect a table
  • noun
  • /ˈdɔɪli/
: mantelito
  • She placed the vase on a colorful doily to protect the table from scratches.
  • lace doilies
  • paper doily
  • a white doily

Grandma's doilies, Dad's suit jacket, Mom's jewelry, that damn Irish sweater.

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Examples

  • "Jada smiled at Uncle Mac's balding head as she set the little bottle on a doily on the dresser."

    Fiction book (1993)
  • For example, in Japanese taxi cabs, sparkling white cotton doilies decorate the drivers' and passengers' seat backs.

    Academic text (1998)
  • l mean, this is my doily collection.

  • And I'm sure that I have a doily out of place somewhere.

  • On top was a doily and a candy dish.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Her living room was stuffed with big antique furniture, and old paintings, and more doilies than I could count.

  • There was a small table, polished brightly, with a lace doily on top.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Sandra settled her head back against a crocheted doily and listened to her aunt chatter.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Each Saturday, my mother slipped a starched and ironed snowy-white doily underneath it.

    Academic text (1997)
  • There were lace doilies on the tabletops and antimacassars on the backs of the armchairs.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

doyley
vsdoily
  • Archaic
9.9

A small cloth you put under a dish to protect a table and make it look nice

has identical meaning but appears as an alternative spelling
doyly
vsdoily
  • Archaic
9.9

A small decorative cloth placed under a dish or bowl to protect the surface below

has identical meaning but appears as an alternative spelling

How Big

tablecloth
39 1.0
placemat
6 1.6
doily
15 7.2
coaster
18 1.0

Surface Forms

doily singular
doilies plural

Etymology

Doily comes from a shop owner in the 1600s named Doiley, who sold small, fine 'napkins', and people began to call these little cloths by his name. So today a doily is a small decorative mat you put under a plate or teapot to protect the table.