sarong

[suh-rawng, -rong]

noun

1. a loose-fitting skirtlike garment formed by wrapping a strip of cloth around the lower part of the body, worn by both men and women in the Malay Archipelago and certain islands of the Pacific Ocean.

2. a cloth for such garments.

sarong

/ səˈrɒŋ /

noun

1. a draped skirtlike garment worn by men and women in the Malay Archipelago, Sri Lanka, the Pacific islands, etc

2. a fashionable Western adaptation of this garment

Word History and Origins

Origin of sarong¹

First recorded in 1825–35, sarong is from the Malay word sarung, sarong

Word History and Origins

Origin of sarong¹

C19: from Malay, literally: sheath

Example Sentences

At a Mutharika rally in Machinga, an elderly woman wearing a colourful headscarf and sarong held up a huge bucket and shouted "fertiliser".

Read more on BBC

Their ragged shirts and sarongs flap in the breeze.

Read more on BBC

Cropped tuxedo jackets revealed lacy bras, while sheer sarong skirts tied in a satin bow showed off lace panties.

Read more on Seattle Times

“That’s how people typically sit in Southeast Asia when they need to take a break … And then he’s also adorned with the sarong.”

Read more on Seattle Times

She wears a neon green-and-purple swimsuit with a matching sarong, which is based on a real ensemble Diana wore.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dress 
• kilt 
• petticoat