nappe
8.4
A cloth that covers a table during a meal
- noun
- /næp/
- UK
:
mantel
- The restaurant uses a clean white nappe on each table to create an elegant atmosphere.
Examples
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I set the dining table with a beautiful nappe for the family dinner.
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After every meal, she washes the nappe to keep it looking fresh and new.
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"La nappe" (84), a favorite metaphor of language for Barthes, figures this covering by language of every contingent event.
Academic text (2000)
Synonyms
tablecloth
vsnappe
47
1.0
A cloth that covers a table during a meal
has the same meaning but is an alternative name
table linen
vsnappe
2
2.2
Cloth items like napkins and tablecloths used to cover a dining table
is a single cloth for covering a dining surface during meals
How Formal
Surface Forms
Etymology
Nappe for a tablecloth comes from French nappe, which goes back to Latin mappa meaning 'cloth' or 'tablecloth'. A helpful way to remember it is to think of the word napkin, a small cloth; a nappe is just a large cloth for the table.