towel

UK: /ˈtaʊəl/ US: /ˈtaʊəl, taʊl/ ,(tou′əl, toul)

Inflections of 'towel' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

towels

v 3rd person singular

toweling

v pres p (US)

towelling

v pres p (UK)

toweled

v past (US)

towelled

v past (UK)

toweled

v past p (US)

towelled

v past p (UK)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

tow•el /ˈtaʊəl, taʊl/   n., v., -eled, -el•ing or (esp. Brit.) -elled, -el•ling. 
n. [countable]

1. a cloth or paper that absorbs liquids, used for wiping and drying:
   Use a towel to dry your face.

v. [~ + object]

2. to wipe or dry with a towel:
   She jumped out of the pool and toweled her hair.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tow•el  (tou′əl, toul), n., v., -eled, -el•ing or (esp. Brit.) -elled, -el•ling. 
n. 

1. an absorbent cloth or paper for wiping and drying something wet, as one for the hands, face, or body after washing or bathing.
2. throw in the towel, [Informal.] to concede defeat;
   give up;
   yield:
   He vowed he would never throw in the towel.

v.t. 

3. to wipe or dry with a towel.

• WGmc *thwahliō ( Old High German dwahilla, akin to dwahal bath); cognate with Gothic thwahl, thwēal washing
• Old French toaille cloth for washing or wiping
• Middle English (noun, nominal) 1250–1300

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

towel / ˈtaʊəl/ noun

1. a square or rectangular piece of absorbent cloth or paper used for drying the body
2. a similar piece of cloth used for drying plates, cutlery, etc
3. throw in the towel ⇒
   See throw in4

verb ( -els, -elling, -elled) ( -els, -eling, -eled)(transitive)

1. to dry or wipe with a towel
2. often followed by up: to assault or beat (a person)

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French toaille, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German dwahal bath, Old Saxon twahila towel, Gothic thwahan to wash