First recorded in 1880–85; named after Balaklava
When the temperature dips well below zero, you might want to wear a balaclava, a warm knit hat that covers your entire face, leaving holes for your eyes and nose. You can also call a balaclava a "ski mask," and the ski slope is a place you're sure to see people wearing them, since a balaclava protects your face from icy winds and frigid temperatures. Grab a balaclava the next time you're headed out into the snow, and it will protect your cheeks from frost. Balaclava is named after a village (Balaklava) on the Crimean Peninsula where soldiers fighting in the Crimean War (1853–1856) wore knitted hats that covered their faces.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We see the island of Cuba being strangled," said the musician, wearing sunglasses next to bandmates Moglai Bap and DJ Provai, the latter wearing a balaclava in the colors of the Irish flag.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
On Monday, Longhurst said he had been wearing a balaclava which he took off immediately after the accident because he said he "didn't want to hide" his identity.
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026
It showed a man on a bike in a balaclava, in front of shop signs written in Arabic.
From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026
And when a false-but-deliciously-bizarre rumor spread on TikTok that the U.K. rapper EsDeeKid was actually the actor Timothée Chalamet in a balaclava, it brought the artist a new group of giddy fans.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026
“All righ’, Harry?” he said, pulling up the balaclava so he could speak.
From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling
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.
