tablecloth n : a covering spread over a dining table

English

Noun

1. A cloth used to cover and protect a table, especially for a dining table.

Translations

Quotations

• 1893: Horatio Alger, Jr., Facing the World

  Just across the field stood a small house. In the yard the week's washing was hung out. Among the articles was a red tablecloth.

A table cloth is a cloth used to cover a table. Typically table cloths are made of cotton or artificial fabrics. They are often designed to be easy to wipe clean. More expensive items may be made from silk, linen or lace. While many table cloths are meant to protect the table from being stained or scratched, they may also be used purely for decorative purposes, either hanging near two ends vertically over two parallel edges of the table, or hang mostly vertical along all four edges of the table, with bunched folds hanging at the four corners of the table.

A popular "magic trick" involved pulling a loaded tablecloth away from a table but leaving the plates behind. This trick relies on inertia. This can be very dangerous, and is not recommended with expensive china.

See also

• Placemat
• Doily
• Coaster

External links

• Historical examples of table cloths
• How to choose a tablecloth
• Most Popular Tablecloth Sizes
• Tablecloth Size Calculator