hankie
noun
han·kie ˈhaŋ-kē 
variants or hanky
plural hankies
: handkerchief
Synonyms
- handkerchief
- kerchief
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
held a hankie up to his nose and blew vigorously
Recent Examples on the Web Will this be a five-hankie tearjerker, or a Collateral Beauty–style calamity? 
Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2021 Stealing Home is a two-hankie weeper, and a cheap one at that. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2021 President Barack Obama handed over a hankie during a funeral. Adrienne So, Wired, 5 Mar. 2020 Parting Shot The Broncos have become masters of the two-hankie weepy. Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post, 19 Nov. 2019 And ready your hankie for a moment between Lady Mary and the Dowager Countess that—no spoilers—shows off a softer side to the tough-as-nails matriarch. Elizabeth Holmes, Town & Country, 16 Sep. 2019 Despite his relatively casual daily dress of bluejeans, collared shirt and dress shoes, Luke rarely left home without a hankie in his back pocket. WSJ, 8 Mar. 2019 Keep a couple of hankies handy, because the play will likely soften the flintiest hearts in the audience. F. Kathleen Foley, latimes.com, 17 Apr. 2018 The six-step kits, which retail from $48 to $52, each include the dye formula, a silk hankie, protective gloves, string, and a manual on shibori—the Japanese dyeing technique that produces those better-than-tie-dye patterns on fabric. Zoë Sessums, Bon Appetit, 22 Feb. 2018 See More
Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2021 Stealing Home is a two-hankie weeper, and a cheap one at that. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2021 President Barack Obama handed over a hankie during a funeral. Adrienne So, Wired, 5 Mar. 2020 Parting Shot The Broncos have become masters of the two-hankie weepy. Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post, 19 Nov. 2019 And ready your hankie for a moment between Lady Mary and the Dowager Countess that—no spoilers—shows off a softer side to the tough-as-nails matriarch. Elizabeth Holmes, Town & Country, 16 Sep. 2019 Despite his relatively casual daily dress of bluejeans, collared shirt and dress shoes, Luke rarely left home without a hankie in his back pocket. WSJ, 8 Mar. 2019 Keep a couple of hankies handy, because the play will likely soften the flintiest hearts in the audience. F. Kathleen Foley, latimes.com, 17 Apr. 2018 The six-step kits, which retail from $48 to $52, each include the dye formula, a silk hankie, protective gloves, string, and a manual on shibori—the Japanese dyeing technique that produces those better-than-tie-dye patterns on fabric. Zoë Sessums, Bon Appetit, 22 Feb. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
handkerchief + -ie
First Known Use
1878, in the meaning defined above
hankies
noun
as in handkerchiefs
a small, often square piece of material that is used for personal hygiene purposes held a hankie up to his nose and blew vigorously Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- handkerchiefs
- handkerchieves
- towels
- napkins
- kerchiefs
- tissues
- kerchieves
- serviettes
- bandannas
- bandanas
