Napkin (disambiguation)
Encyclopedia
- A napkinNapkinA napkin, or face towel is a rectangle of cloth used at the table for wiping the mouth while eating. It is usually small and folded...
or serviette is a rectangle of cloth or paperPaperPaper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
used at the tableTable (furniture)A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...
for wiping the mouthMouthThe mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....
and/or fingersFingerA finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
while eatingEatingEating is the ingestion of food to provide for all organisms their nutritional needs, particularly for energy and growth. Animals and other heterotrophs must eat in order to survive: carnivores eat other animals, herbivores eat plants, omnivores consume a mixture of both plant and animal matter,...
. - The word napkinNapkinA napkin, or face towel is a rectangle of cloth used at the table for wiping the mouth while eating. It is usually small and folded...
is also an uncommon term for sanitary napkinSanitary napkinA sanitary napkin, sanitary towel, sanitary pad, menstrual pad, maxi pad, or pad is an absorbent item worn by a woman while she is menstruating, recovering from vaginal surgery, for lochia , abortion, or any other situation where it is necessary to absorb a flow of blood from a woman's vagina.These...
(a pad for menstrual control). - The word napkin also refers to a cloth diaperDiaperA nappy or a diaper is a kind of pant that allows one to defecate or urinate on oneself discreetly. When diapers become soiled, they require changing; this process is often performed by a second person such as a parent or caregiver...
in the South Asian region, often a reusable, triangular cloth sewn at home. In the British English speaking world napkin was a synonym for diaper but it now primarily exists in the reduced form nappyNappyNappy may refer to the following:* British, Australian, and New Zealand English for a diaper or another garment used for incontinence* Afro-textured hair* The raised surface and texture of cloth, referred to as the nap...
. - A napkin is also a small scarfScarfA scarf is a piece of fabric worn around the neck, or near the head or around the waist for warmth, cleanliness, fashion or for religious reasons. They can come in a variety of different colours.-History:...
placed on the head by a woman entering a Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
as a conventional token of modestyModestyStandards of modesty are aspects of the culture of a country or people, at a given point in time, and is a measure against which an individual in society may be judged....
. This practice is largely extinct in modern times.