A doily (or doilie) is a small ornamental mat usually made of cotton or linen placed underneath a dish or bowl. Openwork allows the table surface to show through. In addition to their decorative function, doilies have the utilitarian role of protecting fine-wood furniture from the scratches caused by crockery.
In more recent times, paper doilies have become common, and are often used to decorate a plate of food, underlying the food for ornamentation.
Originally the name of a fabric, from Doiley, a 17th century London draper.
Doilies are also used as head coverings in zealous Baptist churches.
Doileys are also used to protect material from damage around a protrusion. A cloth doiley is used on a cloth wing where a strut comes through the cloth, and around holes cut in sails for reefing points for example.
See also
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Last updated on Saturday July 05, 2008 at 19:15:36 PDT (GMT -0700)
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