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• Afghan
  Afghan

  noun

  a native or inhabitant of Afghanistan.
• afghan
  afghan

  noun

  a knitted or crocheted wool blanket or shawl, esp one with a geometric pattern

Afghan

American  

[af-gan, -guhn] / ˈæf gæn, -gən /

noun

• Afghans
  plural

1. a native or inhabitant of Afghanistan.

2. afghan, a soft woolen blanket, crocheted or knitted, usually in a geometric pattern.

3. Also called Afghan hound.  one of a breed of swift hunting hounds having a long, narrow head and a long, silky coat.

4. Literary. Pashto.

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adjective

1. of Afghanistan or its people or language.

Afghan ¹ British  

/ -ɡən, æfˈɡænɪ, ˈæfɡæn, -ˈɡɑː- /

noun

1. a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Afghanistan

2. another name for Pashto

3. history an Indian camel driver employed in the outback of Australia

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adjective

1. denoting or relating to Afghanistan, its people, or their language

afghan ² British  

/ -ɡən, ˈæfɡæn /

noun

1. a knitted or crocheted wool blanket or shawl, esp one with a geometric pattern

2. a sheepskin coat, often embroidered and having long fur trimming around the edges

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Usage

See afghani.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Afghans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Afghan

First recorded in 1740–50; from Persian afghān “inhabitant of the Hindu Kush; a Pathan“

Explanation

An afghan is a knitted or crocheted blanket. You might spend Friday night curled up on the couch under an afghan watching old movies on TV. Many afghans are made from individual crocheted squares — called "granny squares" — stitched together into one big, multicolored blanket. Other afghans are striped or composed of large blocks of color. The connection of the name afghan with the people or country of Afghanistan is unclear, though some crochet and knitting fans believe that the original afghans, first made in the 1800s, were influenced by multi-colored blankets from that country.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Afghan afghan Afghans

They witnessed families separated, babies passed over fences, civilians crushed in the crowds, and Afghan allies turned away because they lacked the necessary paperwork.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Ms. Eshaghian has proved in earlier films, including the Afghan prison doc “Love Crimes of Kabul,” that she can get people to talk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

In dusty provincial capitals and farmers' fields, where international and Afghan aid agencies wrestle with ways to work on the ground, the conversations continue day in day out.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Low-key kings of ’90s alt-rock, the Afghan Whigs have been on a tear since reuniting in 2011.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2017

What a lochak/ By Afghan standards, my question had been bold.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Gilbert: The couch and afghan, along with the entire main kitchen and living room set are in Carsey Werner’s storage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2025

Since September, Minnesota has welcomed 721 afghan evacuees according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

From Fox News ● Jan. 20, 2022

I wrote early on in that essay, trying to conjure the first moment I ever saw one as an infant — my parent's afghan hound, Easy.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2021

There was Peggy Foster, 82, an afghan over her shoulders, Ralph Lucas, 84, the only man in the group, and Jean Rose, 96, who kept surprising herself with the success of her rolls.

From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2021

She’d placed a folded brown afghan at the foot of her narrow bed and a doily on the nightstand.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East absorb international attention, and Europe's burning issue is how to stop so many Afghans fleeing towards their shores.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Lugging suitcases across the border after packing up in Pakistan, Afghans are returning home with their worldly possessions but often lack one key item to restart their lives: an identity card.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

In June, the United Nations launched an initiative that aims to help Afghans get 1.5 million identity documents over the next three years.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

He has worked on numerous cases involving Afghans and other migrants who alleged "ill-treatment, push-backs, denial of access to asylum procedures, and forced returns" around the Iran-Turkey border region.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

He’d invite the entire corridor of neighbors for dinner, most of them Afghans waiting for visas.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini