doily

doily
noun (plural doilies) Etymology: Doily or Doyley fl1711 London draper Date: 1711 1. a small napkin 2. a small often decorative mat

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • doily — 1714, short for doily napkin (1711), from doily thin, woolen fabric; supposedly from Doiley, surname of a 17c. early 18c. dry goods dealer on London s Strand. Doily earlier meant genteel, affordable woolens (1670s), evidently from the same source …   Etymology dictionary

  • Doily — Doi ly, n. [So called from the name of the dealer.] 1. A kind of woolen stuff. [Obs.] Some doily petticoats. Dryden. [1913 Webster] A fool and a doily stuff, would now and then find days of grace, and be worn for variety. Congreve. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • doily — [doi′lē] n. pl. doilies [after a 17th c. London draper named Doily or Doyley] 1. a small napkin 2. a small mat, as of lace or paper, put under a dish, vase, or the like, as a decoration or to protect a surface …   English World dictionary

  • doily — meaning ‘a napkin’, is spelt like this, not doiley or doyly. (despite the word s origin: it is named after a 17c London draper called Doiley). The plural is doilies …   Modern English usage

  • doily — ► NOUN (pl. doilies) ▪ a small ornamental mat made of lace or paper. ORIGIN from Doiley or Doyley, a 17th century London draper …   English terms dictionary

  • Doily — A doily A doily (or doilie) is an ornamental mat, originally the name of a fabric made by Doiley, a 17th century London draper.[1] Doily earlier meant genteel, affordable woolens , evidently from the same source.[2] …   Wikipedia

  • Doily —    In the late seventeenth century, during the reign of Queen Anne, an ingenious merchant sold a material that appealed to his customers because it was attractive and cheap. The material was used for summertime wear, but another use for the… …   Dictionary of eponyms

  • doily — [17] In the latter part of the 17th century a certain Mr Doily kept a celebrated draper’s shop in the Strand, London, not too far from where the Aldwych now is (‘The famous Doily is still fresh in every one’s Memory, who raised a Fortune by… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • doily — [17] In the latter part of the 17th century a certain Mr Doily kept a celebrated draper’s shop in the Strand, London, not too far from where the Aldwych now is (‘The famous Doily is still fresh in every one’s Memory, who raised a Fortune by… …   Word origins

  • doily — n. a lace; linen; paper doily * * * [ dɔɪlɪ] linen paper doily a lace …   Combinatory dictionary

  • doily — UK [ˈdɔɪlɪ] / US noun [countable] Word forms doily : singular doily plural doilies a round piece of paper or cloth with a pattern of holes that you put on a plate before putting cakes, sandwiches etc on it, or that you put on a table or piece of… …   English dictionary

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