A napkin is a small square of cloth used at table for dabbing crumbs and juices from around the mouth while eating. We have inherited the word from Middle English, borrowing the French nappe— a cloth covering for a table— and adding -kin, the diminutive suffix.
Conventionally the napkin is folded and placed to the left of the place setting, outside the outermost fork. In an ambitious restaurant setting, or a caterer's hall, it may be folded into more or less elaborate shapes and displayed on the empty plate. A napkin folded into a fan and stuffed into a wine glass does not usually reassure anyone who is fond of wine.
A 'napkin' is also a small scarf placed on the head by a woman entering a Roman Catholic church, as a conventional token of modesty.
Nappy, a further diminutive of 'napkin,' is a British English term for a baby's diaper.
