serviette

towel

noun ser-vee-ET Less Common

Origin: Old French serviette, from servir (to serve)

Also means

briefcase, satchel

Usage Note

Serviette covers both the cloth you dry yourself with (serviette de bain = bath towel) and the document bag carried by professionals (serviette en cuir = leather briefcase). At the table it also means 'napkin'. A learner should always check context, as these three meanings are all common.

Examples

"Prends une serviette propre dans l'armoire."

Natural Translation

Take a clean towel from the cupboard.

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