small pieces of cloth or paper used to wipe your mouth and hands while eating.
From Old French nappe (tablecloth) with the diminutive -kin suffix, making it 'small tablecloth.' The word entered English in the 1400s as dining became more formal.
The napkin ring became essential Victorian etiquette because napkins were expensive linen and reused throughout the week—your fancy napkin ring told everyone how wealthy you were.
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