Tow"el (?), n. [OE.towaille, towail, F. touaille, LL. toacula, of Teutonic origin; cf. OHG. dwahila, swahilla, G. zwehle, fr. OHG. dwahan to wash; akin to D. dwaal a towel, AS. þwe�xa0;n to wash, OS. thwahan, Icel. þv&amac;, Sw. tv�x86;, Dan. toe, Goth. þwahan. Cf. Doily.]
A cloth used for wiping, especially one used for drying anything wet, as the person after a bath.
Towel gourd Bot., the fruit of the cucurbitaceous plant Luffa Aegyptiaca; also, the plant itself. The fruit is very fibrous, and, when separated from its rind and seeds, is used as a sponge or towel. Called also Egyptian bath sponge, and dishcloth.
© Webster 1913.
Tow"el, v. t.
To beat with a stick.
[Prov. Eng.]
© Webster 1913.