noun

• A small bowl containing water for rinsing the fingers during or after a meal.

  ‘However, all these semantics were soon forgotten when the largest steamer of mussels arrived, complete with another bowl for the shells and a finger bowl (for my greasy fingers from the butter pat).’

  More example sentences

  • ‘In spite of my most skilful wielding of cutlery, I had to have recourse to the finger bowl that had been brought along with the main course.’
  • ‘Serve with lemon and black pepper and fresh bread and a finger bowl!’
  • ‘Eat it and you'll be like that man who drank his finger bowl in front of Queen Victoria.’
  • ‘This was an amazing ‘bouillabaisse’ soup which was served with a dish for seafood shells and a finger bowl.’
  • ‘One of Sally's favorite stories, perhaps apocryphal, concerns a dinner guest who had never seen a finger bowl before and so started drinking out of his.’
  • ‘He grabbed a cup of hot water from a tray and a pinch of green dust from a small finger bowl.’
  • ‘This was one to be attacked by hand, the only problem being a lack of a finger bowl at the end.’
  • ‘The Offertory Gifts included a chalice, ciboria, jug and finger bowl, a credence set, a copy of the commemorative book and a specially commissioned commemorative plate, one of which was presented to each employee present.’
  • ‘Give finger bowls to your guests and lots of good French bread to mop up the wonderful juices.’
  • ‘As a child, I fashioned ersatz cockpit headsets out of plastic finger bowls and wire hangers; I secretly spoke into my Texas Instruments digital wristwatch while playing in my backyard.’
  • ‘They can also be added to the bath, used as a light cologne or body spray, and even used in finger bowls for elegant, romantic dinners.’
  • ‘Guests dipped into their finger bowls and they were set to the side.’
  • ‘Sprinkle them generously with salt, and a little more thyme if you wish, then serve with halves of lemon and finger bowls and napkins.’
  • ‘Dad and I went to this fancy restaurant where they used those little finger bowls.’
  • ‘Serve with spoons for the broth, and finger bowls for the mussels.’

  Synonyms

  dish, basin, pan, pot, crock, crucible, mortar