finger bowl
Definition
- Noun:
- A small bowl for rinsing the fingers at table: A "finger bowl" is a small bowl, often filled with water, sometimes with a slice of lemon or flower petals, provided during or after a meal for diners to clean their fingertips.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- After the lobster course, the waiter brought out a finger bowl with a lemon slice.
- Proper etiquette requires you to dip your fingers lightly in the finger bowl and then dry them with your napkin.
Advanced Usage
- Cultural/Formal Context: The "finger bowl" is typically associated with formal dining or meals where food is eaten with the hands. It is not a drinking vessel.
- At the state dinner, a delicate porcelain finger bowl was placed before each guest following the main course.
Variants and Related Words
- Finger bowl and doily set: A formal presentation where the finger bowl is placed on a small decorative mat (doily).
- Rinse bowl: A more generic, less formal term for a bowl used for rinsing.
Synonyms
- Rinse bowl: A bowl for rinsing.
- Hand-rinse bowl: A bowl for rinsing the hands.
Related Phrases
- To use a finger bowl: The act of cleaning one's fingers in the provided bowl.
- She discreetly showed her guest how to use the finger bowl.
Related Idioms
Noun
-
small bowl for rinsing the fingers at table
