abaya

[uh-bey-yuh]

noun

1. a coarse, felted fabric woven of camel's or goat's hair.

2. a loose, sleeveless outer garment made of this fabric or of silk, worn by Arabs.

abaya

/ əˈbaɪə /

noun

1. a long black long-sleeved robe worn by Muslim women in Arabic-speaking countries, often with a headscarf or veil

Word History and Origins

Origin of abaya¹

First recorded in 1805–15; from Arabic ʿabā'(ah)

Word History and Origins

Origin of abaya¹

Arabic

Example Sentences

Among the eager takers were Emirati students and engineers — the men in the long white robe known as a thobe, the women in abayas.

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He recalls once “making a scene” when he saw a student wearing an abaya over pajamas — the student code prohibits the latter alongside shorts and revealing necklines.

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Last year, the Education Minister, who’s now Prime Minister, said the ban included abayas and qamis, clothing traditionally worn in Muslim-majority countries — a move criticized by the U.S. government’s Commission on International Religious Freedom.

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Women are no longer required to wear the fully cloaking black abaya.

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These included calls for an end to the guardianship system and videos of her shopping without an abaya, they added.

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