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nap·kin

(năpkĭn)

1. A piece of cloth or absorbent paper used at table to protect the clothes or wipe the lips and fingers.

2. A cloth or towel.

3. A sanitary napkin.

4. Chiefly British A diaper.

[Middle English : Old French nape, nappe, tablecloth; see NAPPE + -kin, -kin.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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