paper towel
66
1.0
- noun
- /ˈpeɪpər taʊəl/
:
toalla de papel
- I need to buy some paper towels and dish soap and bleach.
- dry with a paper towel
- a paper towel roll
- wet paper towels
And then she ripped up some paper towel and put that in.
- And then she ripped up some paper towel and put that in.
- Moving along, restocked the paper towels in the bathroom.
- You have to use a wet towel, paper towel to wipe it down.
- So with your paper towel again, just wipe off.
- And that's why, you know, I'm not getting my Amazon paper towel rolls that I ordered.
- Anything you've got to hold water, hold some paper towel, put some seeds inside.
- How is the gulag out of paper towels?
- Let's say you're a factory and you sell paper towels.
- I want a bottle and a paper towel.
- I know not to rub with a paper towel.
Examples
-
Matthew washed his face with cold water, dried it with a paper towel, and went back to his office.
Fiction book (1996) -
I'm gonna grab a paper towel.
-
We'll have to get another roll of paper towels before the next episode.
-
Hey, Jim, can you hand me those paper towels, please?
-
Can you hand me a paper towel?
-
Are you using paper towels?
-
Would you pass me the paper towels?
-
Paper towels are in the bathroom.
-
Moving along, restocked the paper towels in the bathroom.
-
Please grab a paper towel to clean up the spill on the floor.
Synonyms
565
1.0
A piece of cloth or paper used to dry people and objects
168
1.0
A small piece of cloth or paper used at meals to wipe the mouth and hands
35
1.0
A small piece of soft material used for cleaning skin or surfaces
8
3.9
A small disposable moist cloth or paper for cleaning hands and surfaces
7
1.0
A small towel for drying your hands or face
3
1.3
A small soft disposable cloth made slightly wet to clean skin or surfaces
1
1.0
A large piece of cloth or paper people use at dinner to protect clothes and wipe the mouth and hands
1
2.4
Paper that soaks up water, made in sheets or rolls for drying hands and cleaning spills
A small package of wet cloths that you use once to clean hands or surfaces
A small towel used to dry the face or hands
A small piece of cloth or paper used at meals to wipe your mouth and hands
How Absorbent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: a towel made from paper used for drying or cleaning, which follows normal noun-noun compounding patterns in English. This structure has clear cognates in many languages (e.g. toalla de papel, serviette en papier), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Paper towel comes from the simple idea of a towel made of paper instead of cloth. Because people use it once and then throw it away, the name now means 'a disposable towel used to dry hands or clean spills'.