Recent Examples on the WebMake loose brunch plans with the hottest bystander and escape into the night with a slice of cake wrapped in a serviette for the subway. Raven Smith, Vogue, 12 Nov. 2020 Take a serviette and wipe the rim, making sure there’s no foil. Sarah Solomon, Town & Country, 28 July 2017 Still, the Smithsonian is right to to honor this most famous of American serviettes, the Magna Carta of modern Republican economics. Jeet Heer, New Republic, 18 Oct. 2017 Take a serviette and wipe the rim, making sure there’s no foil. Sarah Solomon, Town & Country, 28 July 2017
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from French, going back to Middle French, from servir "to serve entry 1" + -ette-ette
Note: The borrowing is found earlier in Scots as serviot, servit.