abaya
Americannoun
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a coarse, felted fabric woven of camel's or goat's hair.
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a loose, sleeveless outer garment made of this fabric or of silk, worn by Arabs.
noun
Etymology
Origin of abaya
First recorded in 1805–15; from Arabic ʿabā'(ah)
Vocabulary lists containing abaya
The Middle East and Central Asia - Introductory
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The Middle East and Central Asia - Middle School
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The Middle East and Central Asia - High School
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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.
"I love Israel so much," she said, smiling in her head-to-toe black abaya.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
Some post photos of themselves in traditional Saudi dress: for men a thobe and headdress, for women an abaya and headscarf.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 14, 2026
The woman was dressed in a long robe, known as an abaya, the prosecutor’s office said.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 31, 2023
Luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana released an abaya collection in 2016 in the Middle East.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2023
She’s at the fund-raising table wearing an abaya over her shorts, a scarf around her neck.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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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.
