towel

 
Pronunciation: /ˈtaʊəl/

noun

  • 1a piece of thick absorbent cloth or paper used for drying oneself or wiping things dry: a bath towel a paper towel
  • 2British a sanitary towel.

verb (towels, towelling, towelled; US towels, toweling, toweled)

[with object]
  • 1wipe or dry with a towel: [with object and complement]: she towelled her hair dry
  • 2 informal, chiefly Australian/NZ thrash or beat (someone).

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French toaille, of Germanic origin. Sense 2 of the verb dates from the early 18th century; sense 1 from the mid 19th century

Spelling rule

Double the l when adding endings which begin with a vowel to words which end in a vowel plus l (as in travel): (towels, towelling, towelled).