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.
For this year’s Wondaween, a free 21+ costumed fan event, where the theme is Creature Carnival, Monáe says she expects to see people clad in everything from insect garb to Frankenstein.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Further down, a picture of Rowan Atkinson in full Blackadder garb catches the eye as the paper reveals "A cunning plan" to revive the classic 1980s historical comedy as a live show.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
The defendants -- both Chinese nationals who arrived in court in prison garb -- were acquitted of charges stemming from a separate bombing at a pier in Bangkok's Charoen Nakhon area.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
The latter told NYT he might need to shop for more orange garb as he preps for the “Jeopardy!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026
Octavian blasted Mark Antony’s lack of character: Did he not prance around in the Greek garb of the drunken god, Dionysus?
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
