tea towel
2
1.0
- noun
- /tiː ˈtaʊəl/
- UK
:
paño de cocina
- Primark was selling the cutest Christmas tea towels, and at 1.20, they were a steal that I just couldn't resist.
- a damp tea towel
- clean tea towels
- a white tea towel
It's like, like what they called tea towel.
- It's like, like what they called tea towel.
- So if you want to win those, just put tea towel one or tea towel and, and I'll just pick two winners for that.
- When that tea towel was stitched to that little black Gucci dress, I had no idea the reaction that was going to come.
Examples
-
Luke put down the tea towel and shook his head.
Fiction book (2001) -
Although he tried, I mostly used a tea towel to clean up; there was a lot of water spilled.
Blog text (14) -
Where is a tea towel?
-
The other idea is to buy tea towels, cut them, and make two out of one.
Blog text (10) -
Then tell them to close their eyes, cover up the objects with a tea towel and take one of the objects away.
-
Mrs. O'Dare dried her hands on a tea towel, then sat down with us.
Fiction book (2001) -
Over the dishpan that night, Luke helped his mother dry the silverware and plates with a tea towel.
Fiction book (2001) -
"Did I say let them in?" she hissed, rubbing yolk off her fingers with a tea towel.
Fiction book (1990) -
I now pre-wash every new linen item, whether it is new sheets, towels, tea towels, or dishcloths.
Blog text (17) -
After washing the dishes, Sarah grabbed a tea towel to dry them quickly.
Synonyms
66
1.0
A disposable paper sheet that soaks up water to dry hands or clean spills
6
1.0
A cloth used to dry dishes after they are washed
3
1.0
A towel for drying dishes after they are washed
1
2.4
Paper that soaks up water, made in sheets or rolls for drying hands and cleaning spills
How Absorbent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'tea towel' transparently combines 'tea' (the context/use) with 'towel' (an absorbent cloth), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a towel associated with tea service or kitchen drying. This noun+noun composition is a standard, compositional pattern found across languages (e.g. kitchen/tea cloth equivalents), making the meaning immediately accessible to B1 learners.
Etymology
The noun tea towel probably comes from the simple habit of using a small towel when making tea to dry the teapot and cups. So today tea towel means 'a cloth for drying dishes'.