abaya

American  

[uh-bey-yuh] / əˈbeɪ yə /

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.

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abaya British  

/ əˈbaɪə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of abaya

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

Example Sentences

Jillian Anne Abaya, though always beautifully costumed in flirty white frocks, doesn’t quite offer the flighty, effervescent, pre-manic-pixie-dream-girl quality that Daisy requires, and Shahzeb Hussain has the bravado but not the menace of Tom.

From New York Times • Jun. 29, 2023

Claire Saunders, left, and Jillian Anne Abaya perform in an immersive-theater version of “The Great Gatsby.”

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2023

But on Nov. 21, the Mirab Abaya camp seemed calm, prisoners said.

From Washington Post • Dec. 5, 2022

One detainee who escaped a center in Mirab Abaya in southern Ethiopia estimated that more than 1,500 people were held there alone.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2021

Of the thirty-eight delegates assigned to the non-Christian provinces, one only, good old Lino Abaya of Tiagan, was a non-Christian.

From The Philippines: Past and Present (Volume 1 of 2) by Worcester, Dean C.