hijab
Americannoun
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a traditional scarf worn by Muslim women to cover the hair and neck and sometimes the face.
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the traditional dress code of Muslim women, calling for the covering of the entire body except the face, hands, and feet.
to observe the hijab.
noun
Etymology
Origin of hijab
First recorded in 1885–90; from Arabic ḥijāb “veil, cover, curtain,” from ḥajaba “to cover”
Explanation
A hijab is a head covering scarf that some Muslim women wear in public. For many such women, the hijab signifies both modesty and privacy. In some cases, the hijab is worn by a woman when she's with men who aren't in her own family. For other Muslims, it's equally important to wear a hijab in the presence of non-Muslims, including women. Still other practicing Muslims choose not to wear a hijab at all. The word hijab is Persian, from the Arabic ḥajaba, or "veil."
Vocabulary lists containing hijab
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ali wears a hijab while in the suit and uses a second person, usually a model or intern, to provide the bug’s feet — though she insists that those are the “bug’s feet.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Soon the hijab is made mandatory for every woman and girl from the age of 9, and Nafisi finds herself forced to comply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
In 2022, he joined the vast crowds that poured onto the streets to denounce the death in detention of young Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for wearing her hijab improperly.
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
Women had to wear a specific type of hijab with gloves and socks to cover their hands and ankles, and music was not allowed.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2026
It was just that lately Naheed felt that wearing her hijab was more like showing she was different from everyone else.
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
