napkin
napkin — noun
1. a small sheet of fabric or thin paper that people put on their lap or pick up to
a small sheet of fabric or thin paper that people put on their lap or pick up to clean their mouth and fingers while eating
Christopher folded his cloth napkin neatly and placed it beside the plate after dinner.
cloth napkin — fabric reusable napkin at a meal
The waiter gave each guest a paper napkin and menu to start the meal.
paper napkin — disposable napkin at a restaurant
Shirin wiped her fingers on her napkin before reaching for the bread basket.
Mira placed a linen napkin on her lap as the first course arrived.
Some restaurants use cloth napkins while others give out disposable paper ones.
- serviette
chiefly British, slightly more formal or old-fashioned for a paper napkin
- table napkin
full form; clearer when context is needed to avoid confusion with other senses
常見錯誤
2. a thick soft pad worn inside underwear to absorb menstrual blood during a person
a thick soft pad worn inside underwear to absorb menstrual blood during a person's period
Hui bought a box of sanitary napkins at the pharmacy near her office.
bought at a pharmacy — typical purchase location
A nurse told Mayumi she could find sanitary napkins in aisle three of the supermarket.
find in aisle [number] — supermarket location phrase
Ramón asked his sister if he should buy sanitary napkins on his way home.
Some brands make sanitary napkins using only pure cotton.
Élise prefers reusable cloth pads over disposable sanitary napkins for environmental reasons.
- sanitary pad
common alternative; pad alone is the usual casual term
- sanitary towel
standard British English term
- pad
informal everyday word; shorter and more common in speech
用法筆記
This sense is more common in US English; the British equivalent is sanitary towel. In everyday conversation, pad (B1) is the informal, more common word.
3. a soft absorbent garment that a baby wears around the lower body to catch and ho
a soft absorbent garment that a baby wears around the lower body to catch and hold urine and solid waste
Obi changed the baby's napkin after noticing it was wet.
change a napkin — standard phrase for replacing a diaper
Vikram brought a clean napkin and some baby wipes to the changing table.
napkin + baby wipes — items used together for changing
Iris packed several spare napkins in the diaper bag before leaving the house.
Nala's grandmother showed her how to fold a cloth napkin for the new baby.
Piotr learned how to check whether the napkin needed changing during the night.
用法筆記
This sense is chiefly US English and somewhat old-fashioned. In modern US English, diaper is the usual word. In UK English and other Commonwealth varieties, nappy is used.