balaclava
Americannoun
noun
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.
Vocabulary lists containing balaclava
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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This Week In Words: October 26–November 1, 2019
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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.
Strachan sat down beside her wearing a balaclava.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 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
Investigators got their first major break in the case Tuesday with the release of footage showing an armed man wearing a balaclava, gloves and a backpack.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
Earlier Tuesday the FBI released images showing a person in a full-face balaclava apparently tampering with a front-door camera outside Nancy Guthrie's home in the southwestern city of Tucson, Arizona.
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 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.
