Meanings
plural naperies
- countableuncountableHousehold linen, especially table linen.
She led the way through a wide hall into a charming room, where a table was already spread in its dainty napery and silver.
1902, Josephine Spenser, Corner in Chrysanthemums2 more examples
Many will have pleasing recollections of the attractive effect, especially on a winter evening, of a dining car or Pullman train, with its shaded table-lamps throwing their light on napery, cutlery, and glass to give a heartening picture of well-being.
1949 September and October, “The New Tavern Cars”, in Railway Magazine, page 282Banter and low laughter swayer about the huge tent, swayed among the shadows thrown by the brilliant candelabra pendant on their inverted stems above the white napery of the central table.
1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber, published 1992, page 106
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchnape
- Middle Frenchnaperie
- Anglo-Normannaperie
- Middle Englishnaperie
- Englishnapery
From Middle English naperie, from Anglo-Norman naperie, Middle French naperie, from Old French nape + -erie.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
napery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/napery
“napery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/napery. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “napery,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/napery.
Source: napery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.