noun
napkin
An absorbent garment worn to contain urine and feces.
The old British childcare guide recommends changing the baby's napkin promptly.
Etymology
The original meaning is a small cloth. The infant-care sense applies that name to the absorbent cloth or garment worn to contain bodily waste.
More examples
- The historical account described washing a baby's napkins.
- In the British text, napkin meant a baby's diaper.
- The museum label explained the obsolete use of napkin for diaper.
Forms
napkin · napkins
Similar words
- diaper
- The standard American word for this garment.