noun
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clothes, esp the distinctive attire of an occupation or profession
clerical garb
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style of dress; fashion
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external appearance, covering, or attire
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of garb
1585–95; < Middle French garbe graceful outline < Old Italian garbo grace < Germanic; compare Old High German garawen, Old English gearwian to prepare, adorn ( see gar 2), gear
Explanation
Your garb is what you are wearing — your clothing. You may choose the garb of an auto mechanic, even though you don’t know the difference between a carburetor and a catalytic converter, just because you like the look. Within your closet, you probably have the garb of a student — casual clothes that are just right for school — along with the more formal garb you are expected to wear for holidays at your grandmother's house or when giving a speech. When you usually see your buddy, the Marine, in his military garb, it might catch you by surprise when you see him flopped on his couch in the garb of a lazy lounger.
Vocabulary lists containing garb
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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Vocabulary from the First Presidential Debate: September 26, 2016
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"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving
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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.
And when I was there, there was someone dressed in old-timey garb playing a banjo.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
He wore everyday outfits instead of suits and sometimes took the podium dressed in traditional Hungarian garb.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Daedone, who wore tan jail garb and leg shackles, looked serene throughout the proceeding.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Though set in Ghost Town with period garb, there are modern flourishes, such as tongue-in-cheek nods to the theme park’s attractions and a damsel in distress who ultimately proves to be anything but.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
Remembering the warmth and love she had bestowed upon us on the hill, I reached up and caressed the Virgen’s glorious blue garb, tracing the embroidered stars delicately with the tips of my fingers.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
