A piece of cloth spread over a table to protect it or make it look nice.
From Middle English 'table' (from Old Norse 'tafl' or Latin 'tabula') combined with 'cloth' (Old English 'clāth'); a straightforward compound referring to cloth for a table.
Tablecloths became status symbols in medieval Europe—patterned linen was so expensive that displaying a fancy tablecloth showed your wealth as much as the food itself!
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