noun
-
clothes, esp the distinctive attire of an occupation or profession
clerical garb
-
style of dress; fashion
-
external appearance, covering, or attire
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of garb
1585–95; < Middle French garbe graceful outline < Old Italian garbo grace < Germanic; compare Old High German garawen, Old English gearwian to prepare, adorn ( see gar 2), gear
Explanation
Your garb is what you are wearing — your clothing. You may choose the garb of an auto mechanic, even though you don’t know the difference between a carburetor and a catalytic converter, just because you like the look. Within your closet, you probably have the garb of a student — casual clothes that are just right for school — along with the more formal garb you are expected to wear for holidays at your grandmother's house or when giving a speech. When you usually see your buddy, the Marine, in his military garb, it might catch you by surprise when you see him flopped on his couch in the garb of a lazy lounger.
Vocabulary lists containing garb
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary from the First Presidential Debate: September 26, 2016
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Ms. Hall, 67, who is retired, was introduced to Jet Rag 20 years ago by her daughter and now sells what she finds on her Etsy store, Get Up Garb.
From New York Times • May 30, 2022
That seems to happen under the influence of a couple of chemical cues, said Jessica Garb, a spider silk researcher at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell who was not involved in the study.
From New York Times • Nov. 4, 2020
There are also many ways to spin spider silk, which varies between species, and even within the same spider, Dr. Garb said.
From New York Times • Nov. 4, 2020
He and Garb calculated that some 60,000 tonnes of e-waste — about half of what is produced in Israel — were processed at these four villages in 2014.
From Nature • Nov. 29, 2016
Garb, g�rb, n. fashion of dress: external appearance.—v.t. to clothe, array.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
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.
