wipe
n.
1640s, "act of wiping," from wipe, v.. From 1708 as "something used in wiping" (especially a handkerchief); 1971 as "disposable absorbent tissue."
v.
Old English wipian "to wipe, cleanse," from Proto-Germanic *wipjan "to move back and forth" (cognates: Danish vippe, Middle Dutch, Dutch vippen, Old High German wifan "to swing"), from PIE *weip- "to turn, vacillate, tremble" (source of Latin vibrare "to shake;" see vibrate).