chador

American  

[chuhd-er] / ˈtʃʌd ər /

Or chadar,

noun

1. the traditional garment of Muslim and Hindu women, consisting of a long, usually black or drab-colored cloth or veil that envelops the body from head to foot and covers all or part of the face.

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chador British  

/ ˈtʃʌdə /

noun

1. a variant spelling of chuddar

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Etymology

Origin of chador

1605–15; < Hindi < Persian chaddar, chādur veil, sheet

Explanation

A chador is a long, cape-like garment that covers the hair and body of some devout Muslim women. It's especially common in Iran for women to wear a chador when they're out in public. There is a wide variety of head coverings worn by Muslim women in various countries and traditions, including the hijab, khimar, and burka. The chador is mainly native to Iran, where it was primarily worn at funerals before the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Now it's uncommon for an Iranian woman to be seen without a chador, which extends from the head to the ankles. The Persian root is chadar, "scarf or veil," and also "tent or table cloth."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chador

Ali likes to use expansive spaces and incorporate fabrics and textiles, whether it’s a red, sequin-covered chador or a tubular-looking worm made out of polyester, Lycra and spandex.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

The woman is photographed from behind and the pattern of her chador, which completely covers her, seems to intertwine with the dense floral design of the rug.

From Reuters ● May 23, 2023

By the 1979 Islamic Revolution, some of the women who helped overthrow the shah embraced the chador, a cloak that covers the body from head to toe, except for the face.

From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2023

Dressed in a full-length black chador, Judge Sana stepped into the street, her two young children hovering by her side.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2021

Wisps of black hair framed her face from beneath her chador.

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed