serviette

noun

ser·​vi·​ette ˌsər-vē-ˈet How to pronounce serviette (audio)
chiefly British
: a table napkin

Examples of serviette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Use them to aid in pouring wine so that not a drop ends up in the wrong place, or set them beneath decanters like proper serviettes. Hannah Selinger, wsj.com, 29 Sep. 2023 For this look, take a red washable serviette and fashion it into a long, thin roll. Alyssa Gautieri, Good Housekeeping, 22 Nov. 2022 Make loose brunch plans with the hottest bystander and escape into the night with a slice of cake wrapped in a serviette for the subway. Raven Smith, Vogue, 12 Nov. 2020 Take a serviette and wipe the rim, making sure there’s no foil. Sarah Solomon, Town & Country, 28 July 2017 Still, the Smithsonian is right to to honor this most famous of American serviettes, the Magna Carta of modern Republican economics. Jeet Heer, New Republic, 18 Oct. 2017 Take a serviette and wipe the rim, making sure there’s no foil. Sarah Solomon, Town & Country, 28 July 2017

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French, from servir "to serve entry 1" + -ette -ette

Note: The borrowing is found earlier in Scots as serviot, servit.

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of serviette was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near serviette

Cite this Entry

“Serviette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serviette. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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