hanbok
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of hanbok
First recorded in 1970–75; from Korean: literally, “Korean clothing,” from Han “Korea” ( cf. Hangul ( def. )) + bok “clothing, clothes” (from Middle Chinese; compare Mandarin fú, Cantonese fuk )
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.
In Kim Eunho’s 1927 ink and color painting on silk, “Woman Reading the Fortune of the Day,” a hostess in traditional hanbok dress whiles away her break with gaming tiles as a cigarette smolders nearby.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
They’re often depicted in traditional black hanbok and tall gat hats, which explains the Saja Boys’ costuming later in the movie.
From Salon • Jun. 29, 2025
If Min is this desperate to escape his grandmother’s fashion business, why does he sew her an impressive jacket for her hanbok?
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025
The 53-second video features several people - some wearing kurtas with leggings, others dressed in the traditional Korean hanbok - dancing across locations.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2023
Her blue hanbok skirt was twisted all around her, showing her white underskirts, and the bright blue of her hanbok jacket sleeve was stained.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
