A towel is a piece of thick, absorbent cloth used for drying things, especially your body after bathing or swimming. Towels are usually made from cotton or similar materials woven in a way that creates tiny loops, which soak up water quickly when you rub them against wet skin or hair.

You'll find different kinds of towels around the house: bath towels for after showers, hand towels near sinks, beach towels for lying on sand, and kitchen towels (sometimes called dish towels) for drying plates and cups. Each type is sized and designed for its particular job.

The expression throw in the towel comes from boxing, where a coach would literally throw a towel into the ring to signal their fighter was giving up. Now people use the phrase when they decide to quit a difficult task: “After hours of trying to fix his bike, Marcus finally threw in the towel and asked his dad for help.”

Towels seem simple, but they represent a clever solution to an everyday problem. Before towels became common, people dried themselves with rough linen cloths or simply air-dried. The soft, super-absorbent towels we use today are a surprisingly modern convenience that makes life more comfortable.