handkerchief
handkerchief Lexical Profile
handkerchief Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small square of finely woven cotton, linen, or silk fabric carried in a pocket or purse and used for wiping the nose, eyes, or face.
"He pulled a clean linen handkerchief from his coat pocket to dab the sweat from his forehead."
A square piece of cloth folded and worn around the neck or over the head as a scarf or bandana.
"She tied a bright red silk handkerchief loosely around her neck to protect her skin from the sun."
Word Nuance & Usage
The standard plural is 'handkerchiefs', though 'handkerchieves' is occasionally encountered. In everyday pronunciation, the 'd' is typically silent.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 16th century from 'hand' + 'kerchief', where 'kerchief' derives from Anglo-French 'curchef' (literally 'cover-head', from 'covrir' to cover + 'chef' head). Thus, the word originally meant a head-covering cloth carried in the hand.