guayabera

[ gwahy-uh-ber-uh; Spanish gwah-yah-be-rah ]

noun

, plural gua·ya·be·ras [gwahy-, uh, -, ber, -, uh, z, gwah-yah-, be, -rahs].

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of guayabera¹

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)