turban

American  

[tur-buhn] / ˈtɜr bən /

noun

1. a man's headdress worn chiefly by Muslims in southern Asia, consisting of a long cloth of silk, linen, cotton, etc., wound either about a cap or directly around the head.

2. any headdress resembling this.

3. any of various off-the-face hats for women that are close-fitting, of a soft fabric, and brimless, or that have a narrow, sometimes draped, brim.

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turban British  

/ ˈtɜːbən /

noun

1. a man's headdress, worn esp by Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs, made by swathing a length of linen, silk, etc, around the head or around a caplike base

2. a woman's brimless hat resembling this

3. any headdress resembling this

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Other Word Forms

• turban-like adjective
• turbaned adjective
• turbanless adjective
• turbanlike adjective
• unturbaned adjective

Etymology

Origin of turban

1555–65; earlier torbant, variant of tulbant < Turkish tülbent < Persian dulband

Example Sentences

The man with the turban who whistles when he climbs the stairs.

From Literature

In more public settings, other eyewitnesses said he obscures his face - covering his eyes with a scarf draped over his turban, and often standing at an angle when addressing an audience.

From BBC

The small canvas shows a young woman set on a dark background, her head turned towards the viewer and a pearl earring glinting from beneath her blue and cream turban.

From Barron's

The heavily armed jihadists, who dress in camouflage and wear vibrant turbans, have lived in camps in Tangaza, a remote area of Sokoto state near the border with Niger, for several years.

From BBC

Now 74, with a white beard and whiter turban, Ravinder is facing the possibility that he might be the last in that line.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bandana
• hat