guayabera

American  

[gwahy-uh-ber-uh, gwah-yah-be-rah] / ˌgwaɪ əˈbɛr ə, ˌgwɑ yɑˈβɛ rɑ /

noun

guayaberas plural

1. a sport shirt or lightweight jacket, often with several large front pockets, modeled upon a loose, smocklike shirt originally worn by men in Cuba.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• guayaberas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of guayabera

First recorded in 1935–40; from Latin American Spanish, further origin uncertain; perhaps from Spanish guayaba “guava (fruit)” (the shirt pockets being large enough to hold guavas)

Example Sentences

Onstage, Rodriguez, hosted in his own signature style — no gold lamé, but a fedora, black sunglasses and a white guayabera shirt.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2025

He also distinguished himself in person, at concerts and dances, with his ubiquitous Yankees cap, starched white guayabera shirt, white goatee and fuzzy sideburns.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2023

She spoke with disgust of Cuban officials, saying she couldn’t bring herself to wear traditional guayabera dress because they do.

From Washington Times • Jan. 6, 2023

Manny drove a white BMW and wore guayabera shirts and a leather jacket.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2022

How handsome he looked in his Mexican guayabera.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez