finger bowl

noun

: a small water bowl for rinsing the fingers at the table

Examples of finger bowl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Drizzle with any remaining oil and serve at once, providing empty bowls for the leaves and finger bowls and napkins. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024 One such rule was the use of the individual finger bowl. Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2023 First things first: How many out there have ever eaten a meal with a finger bowl present? Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2023 Toward the end of dinner, finger bowls were placed on the table. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 11 Sep. 2023 Victoria — possessed of outstanding manners — picked up her own finger bowl and duly drank from it: so that her guest would be none the wiser. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 11 Sep. 2023 Greg Allman came to one dinner with his then wife, Cher, who mistook a finger bowl for a drink and downed it. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023 Mind racing and reeling from a recent heartbreak, my experience began with a green-tea towel and a ceramic finger bowl of ginger-lemongrass tea. Caitlin Raux Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Jan. 2023 Big bowls, little bowls, glass bowls, metal bowls, little itty-bitty finger bowls. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2019

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

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of finger bowl was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near finger bowl

Cite this Entry

“Finger bowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finger%20bowl. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

finger bowl

noun
: a small bowl of water for rinsing the fingers at the table
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