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tow·el·ing also tow·el·ling

(touə-lĭng, toulĭng)

Any of various fabrics of cotton or linen used for making towels.

tow·el

(touəl)

A piece of absorbent cloth or paper used for wiping or drying.

v. tow·eled, tow·el·ing, tow·els or tow·elled or tow·el·ling

v.tr.

To wipe or rub dry with a towel.

v.intr.

To dry oneself with a towel.

[Middle English towaille, from Old French toaille, of Germanic origin.]

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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