a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping
"He used the towel to dry his face after taking a shower."
A cloth used for wiping, especially one used for drying anything wet, as a person after a bath.
"He reached for the soft towel to dry himself off after his long swim in the ocean."
In plain English: A towel is a piece of cloth you use to dry your body after getting wet from water or sweat.
"She dried her hair with an old towel after taking out of the shower."
Usage: Use the singular form when referring to an individual piece of fabric and the plural only when counting multiple items or addressing someone's collection. This common household item is specifically designed for absorbing moisture from skin, hair, or surfaces rather than cleaning dirt away like a rag.
To hit with a towel.
"The referee threw the towel onto the mat to end the wrestling match early."
The word "towel" comes from the Frankish language, where it originally meant a cloth used for washing. It entered Middle English as towail and eventually became our modern term without changing its core meaning.