turban

American  

[tur-buhn] / ˈtɜr bən /

noun

turbans plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• turbans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of turban

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

Explanation

A turban is a long scarf that's wrapped many times around a person's head. Men who are Sikh or Muslim traditionally wear turbans. There is a smaller woman's hat also called a turban that's styled after the traditional turban. Sikhs are the most common wearers of turbans, including some sikh women (although theirs are usually called a Dahtar). Turbans cover long hair and help keep it clean, as well as representing a proud Sikh identity. In Islam, different types of turbans represent different beliefs or social statuses. Turban comes from a Persian root, dulband.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turban turbans

He told officers his turban had been knocked off and that he had been injured.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

He wore a black turban, signifying direct descendance from the Prophet Muhammad.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric who has a salt-and-pepper beard and the black turban of the "seyyed" -- descendants of the Prophet Mohammed -- is a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026

Wearing a navy blue outfit and white turban, another refugee, Youssouf, was sitting under a shed, his eyes reflecting the trauma of his experiences, when the BBC met him.

From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025

Petrified, he watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban.

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

As galas go, Becket’s is a doozy, with guests sporting kippahs, turbans and zucchettos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

The merchandise in Singh's stores, includes accessories popularised by Punjab's music stars, such as versions of Phulkari turbans worn by Dosanjh, Kanda pendants that were first popularised by veteran Bhangra artist Pammi Bai.

From BBC ● May 31, 2025

“I want other Sikhs to know that their turbans, beards and other articles of faith don’t have to be an obstacle to any career, including one like mine,” he said.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 11, 2023

During that period, al-Golani showed his face publicly for the first time and changed his style of dress from white turbans and robes to shirts and trousers.

From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2023

There were Sikhs from the Punjab who never cut their hair but tucked it all up under their turbans.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

Related Words

• bandana
• hat