kaftan
Americannoun
noun
-
a long coatlike garment, usually worn with a belt and made of rich fabric, worn in the East
-
an imitation of this, worn, esp by women, in the West, consisting of a loose dress with long wide sleeves
Etymology
Origin of kaftan
C16: from Turkish qaftān
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.
We witness this in the portraits of Betye Saar, regally dressed in a Gucci kaftan for what will likely be the last exhibition she’s involved in during her lifetime.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
Most men in northern Nigeria normally wear a kaftan, a loose-fitting gown that reaches the ankles with matching trousers.
From BBC • Jul. 24, 2021
I wish I could just wear a kaftan every day and be done with it; putting together separates is not my favourite thing.
From The Guardian • Oct. 8, 2019
“Polo has shifted from just the sports to a fashion statement,” said Mudrakat Alabi-Macfoy, wearing an airy white kaftan with a multi-colored floral necklace and head wrap at the Lagos Polo Club.
From Reuters • Mar. 25, 2019
Her white kaftan made her brown skin look frosted.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
