definitions

kerchief

[ kur-chif, -cheef ]
/ ˈkɜr tʃɪf, -tʃif /
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noun

a woman's square scarf worn as a covering for the head or sometimes the shoulders.
a handkerchief.

RELATED WORDS

handkerchief, shawl, veil, scarf, bandanna, hankie, babushka, headrail

Nearby words

kerberos, kerbing, kerbside, kerbstone, kerch, kerchief, kerchoo, kerel, kerenski, kerensky, aleksandr feodorovich, kereru

Origin of kerchief

1250–1300; Middle English kerchef, syncopated variant of keverchef < Old French cuevrechef literally, (it) covers (the) head. See cover, chief
Related formsker·chiefed, ker·chieft, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for kerchief

British Dictionary definitions for kerchief

kerchief

/ (ˈkɜːtʃɪf) /

noun

a piece of cloth worn tied over the head or around the neck
Derived Formskerchiefed, adjective

Word Origin for kerchief

C13: from Old French cuevrechef, from covrir to cover + chef head; see chief
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for kerchief

kerchief

n.

early 14c., curchef, earlier kovrechief (early 13c.), from Anglo-French courchief, Old French couvrechief, literally "cover head," from couvrir "to cover" (see cover) + chief "head" (see chief).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper