doily

noun

doi·​ly ˈdȯi-lē How to pronounce doily (audio)
plural doilies
1
: a small napkin
2
: a small often decorative mat

Examples of doily in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Magda Berliner had a collection of one-of-a-kind pieces all made from doilies, tablecloths, and found fabrics—a pioneer of the one-off/upcycle/doily dress concept, as well as other super interesting mixes of fabrics and silhouettes. Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 15 Feb. 2024 Seat assignments for dinner were presented with custom doilies, while glasses of champagne came with bows tied around them on top. Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2023 Place a 12-inch paper doily (or a 12-inch parchment paper circle) on a cake plate. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 20 July 2023 Son’s soft, playful manipulations included vests and shirting reminiscent of doilies, draping and tufting, and chain-like embellishments. José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2023 Make sure your cake stand is at least 12 inches wide, and place a paper doily (or parchment paper circle) in the center of the stand to use as a guide for building the layers. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 20 July 2023 The first model wore an enormous glazed straw hat in the conical shape of the trulli, and there were basket weave corsets and lingerie sets collaged from crochet doilies. Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 9 July 2023 Manfred is like a guy spreading doilies over a train wreck. Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 May 2023 In the early 2000s, Flood developed a new painting technique in which lace fabric or doilies are soaked in paint and arranged on a canvas. Robert Boyd, Chron, 2 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'doily.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Doily or Doyley flourished1711 London draper

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of doily was in 1711

Dictionary Entries Near doily

Cite this Entry

“Doily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doily. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

doily

noun
doi·​ly ˈdȯi-lē How to pronounce doily (audio)
plural doilies
1
: a small napkin
2
: a small often decorative cloth or paper used to protect the surface of furniture

More from Merriam-Webster on doily

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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