Afghan
[ af-gan, -guh n ]
/ ˈæf gæn, -gən /
noun
Also Afghani. a native or inhabitant of Afghanistan.
(lowercase) a soft woolen blanket, crocheted or knitted, usually in a geometric pattern.
Also called Afghan hound. one of a breed of swift hunting hounds having a long, narrow head and a long, silky coat.
adjective
of Afghanistan or its people or language.
RELATED CONTENT
Afghanistan, Kazakhstan — How many “stans” are there and what does it mean?Pakistan, the site of so much suffering lately, means “land of the pure” in Urdu and Persian. Part of this meaning is also found in the names Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. What is it? If you guessed the meaning of the suffix –stan, you’re correct. The suffix –stan is Persian and Urdu for “place of,” or “where one stands.” It is found in the names of …
RELATED WORDS
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for afghan
afghan
/ (ˈæfɡæn, -ɡən) /
noun
a knitted or crocheted wool blanket or shawl, esp one with a geometric pattern
a sheepskin coat, often embroidered and having long fur trimming around the edges
Word Origin for afghan
from Afghanistan
Afghan
Afghani (æfˈɡænɪ, -ˈɡɑː-)
/ (ˈæfɡæn, -ɡən) /
noun
a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Afghanistan
another name for Pashto
history an Indian camel driver employed in the outback of Australia
adjective
denoting or relating to Afghanistan, its people, or their language
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Afghan
name of the people of Afghanistan, technically only correctly applied to the Durani Afghans; Old Afghan chronicles trace the name to an Afghana, son of Jeremiah, sone of Israelite King Saul, from whom they claimed descent, but this is a legend. The name is first attested in Arabic in al-'Utbi's "History of Sultan Mahmud" written c.1030 C.E. and was in use in India from 13c. Attested from 1833 as a type of blanket or wrap (in full, Afghan shawl); 1973 as a style of sheepskin coat; 1877 as a type of carpet; 1895 as a breed of hunting dog.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper