a small piece of linen, silk, or other fabric, usually square, and used especially for wiping one's nose, eyes, face, etc., or for decorative purposes.
a neckerchief or kerchief.
Origin of handkerchief
First recorded in 1520–30; hand + kerchief
Words nearby handkerchief
handiron, handism, hand it to, handiwork, hand job, handkerchief, handkerchief table, hand-knit, handlanger, hand-launder, handle
Being polite “is using your handkerchief, but not just to wave goodbye from the platform.”
Paris’s New Metro Etiquette Manual is a Rosetta Stone for Travelers|Christopher Dickey|December 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“Now to say that I tried to convince Judd to stay is an understatement,” McConnell said, wielding a handkerchief.
10 Politicians Who Turned on the Tears in Public From Obama to Muskie||November 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
When the mood struck, Guy would pick the strings with his teeth, or slap a handkerchief against the guitar for effect.
‘When I Left Home’: The Life of Buddy Guy|Luke Epplin|June 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
That handkerchief reveals the precision that is Lee at her best.
Must-Reads: 'The Fat Years,' 'Drifting House,' and 'The Map and the Territory'|Isaac Stone Fish, Anna Clark, Cameron Martin|January 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The countess bounded up on the sofa and the duke wiped his forehead with his handkerchief.
The Mesmerist's Victim|Alexandre Dumas
He fancied that she was writhing on her seat, that she was tearing her handkerchief with her hands.
The Castle Inn|Stanley John Weyman
Her husband covered his face with his handkerchief, and silently turned from the carriage.
A Russian Proprietor|Lyof N. Tolstoi
"Jacot," spoke Madelaine, in a low voice, as she raised a corner of the handkerchief which covered the cage.
The Young Emigrants; Madelaine Tube; The Boy and the Book; and Crystal Palace|Susan Anne Livingston Ridley Sedgwick
I shot a glance at Ferguson, to find him wiping his face with his handkerchief.
The Kidnapped President|Guy Boothby
British Dictionary definitions for handkerchief
handkerchief
/ (ˈhæŋkətʃɪf, -tʃiːf) /
noun
a small square of soft absorbent material, such as linen, silk, or soft paper, carried and used to wipe the nose, etc