abaya
Americannoun
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a coarse, felted fabric woven of camel's or goat's hair.
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a loose, sleeveless outer garment made of this fabric or of silk, worn by Arabs.
noun
Etymology
Origin of abaya
First recorded in 1805–15; from Arabic ʿabā'(ah)
Vocabulary lists containing abaya
The Middle East and Central Asia - Introductory
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The Middle East and Central Asia - Middle School
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The Middle East and Central Asia - High School
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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.
As education minister between 2023 and 2024, he tackled bullying and also banned pupils from wearing the abaya, a loose-fitting garment from the shoulders to the feet worn by Muslim women.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Some post photos of themselves in traditional Saudi dress: for men a thobe and headdress, for women an abaya and headscarf.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026
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.
From Seattle Times • May 22, 2024
Luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana released an abaya collection in 2016 in the Middle East.
From BBC • Sep. 8, 2023
I chase him with my abaya held up high over my jeaned legs with both my hands, the black cloth bunched around my hips.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
