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• balaclava
  balaclava

  noun

  a close-fitting, knitted cap that covers the head, neck, and tops of the shoulders, worn especially by mountain climbers, soldiers, skiers, etc.
• Balaclava
  Balaclava

  noun

  (often not capitals) a close-fitting woollen hood that covers the ears and neck, as originally worn by soldiers in the Crimean War

balaclava

American  

[bal-, bahl-uh-klah-vuh] / ˌbæl-, ˌbɑl əˈklɑ və /

noun

• balaclavas
  plural

1. a close-fitting, knitted cap that covers the head, neck, and tops of the shoulders, worn especially by mountain climbers, soldiers, skiers, etc.

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Balaclava British  

/ ˌbæləˈklɑːvə /

noun

1. (often not capitals) a close-fitting woollen hood that covers the ears and neck, as originally worn by soldiers in the Crimean War

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• balaclavas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of balaclava

First recorded in 1880–85; named after Balaklava

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

balaclava Balaclava balaclavas

He said a man "turned and faced me – he was wearing a balaclava face covering".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Cooper acknowledged that the person he identified as YG was wearing a black balaclava that exposed only the area around his eyes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

The man was wearing a balaclava, gloves and a backpack.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

Strachan sat down beside her wearing a balaclava.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026

There’s a man in a balaclava sitting at the table, eating a meat pie with sauce.

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

Vital supplies went down with ships sunk by winter storms or sat idle in the harbor at Balaclava while men died on the heights above.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

There is no sense in wasting his time and the state’s money playing Lord Cardigan leading the Light Brigade against the Russians at Balaclava.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 6, 2016

During the war, Adair worked as an ambulance driver, which inspired her 1983 novel Blitz on Balaclava Street, written under the pen name Clare Nicol.

From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2015

Supplies have now reached Cossack Bay, Balaclava, bringing much-needed relief to beleaguered British forces.

From Newsweek ● Mar. 2, 2015

These redoubts were in tended to hold in check the enemy, should he advance from Sebastopol by any of the roads in the direction of Balaclava.

From The Young Dragoon Every Day Life of a Soldier by A.W. Drayson

Officials in Newport, as well as, Coventry, Stafford and Wolverhampton, are exploring ways to strengthen existing powers to challenge those wearing balaclavas, while Nottingham has already introduced a ban.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

She then saw a group of men wearing balaclavas running to hide, it was reported.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

A resident told UK media she had alerted emergency services after seeing three vans blocking a road near the village and a group of men wearing hoods and balaclavas.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

He sat directly in front of me, surrounded by several of the masked men who had now taken off their balaclavas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

They’re throwing smiles at me from the insides of two very thick balaclavas.

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak