doily

Etymology

From Doiley, the name of a 17th-century London draper. The surname is Anglo-Norman, from d’Œuilly, name of several places in Calvados, from Old French oeil (“eye”).

noun

1. A small ornamental piece of lace or linen or paper used to protect a surface from scratches by hard objects such as vases or bowls; or to decorate a plate of food.
   Beg pardon, I'm soiling the doileys / With afternoon tea-cakes and scones. 1956, John Betjeman, “How to Get On in Society”, in Nancy Mitford, editor, Noblesse Oblige, page 159
2. (Judaism) A similar circular piece of lace worn as a head-covering by some Jewish women.
3. (obsolete) An old kind of woollen material.