niqab
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of niqab
C20: from Arabic
Explanation
A niqab is a cloth that covers the face of a devout Muslim woman. Specifically, a niqab is worn below the eyes, covering the nose and mouth. While some observant Muslim women wear a burka, which covers the entire body, and others wear only a hijab that covers their hair and sometimes their neck, still others wear a niqab. The niqab leaves the eyes uncovered, and it's almost always worn with a separate scarf covering the hair. Women who follow this tradition wear a niqab when they are in public or in the company of men they aren't related to.
Vocabulary lists containing niqab
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.
"Each class has more than 105 or 110 students," she said, wearing the black niqab, or face-covering, that is customary for Yemeni women.
From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025
Several countries have introduced restrictions on where the burka or niqab can be worn.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2025
There are also several scenes that show the daughters talking about the hajib and niqab.
From Salon • Oct. 27, 2023
She wore a niqab, an even more concealing garment that veils nearly the entire face with just a slit for the eyes, which she dons when away from home.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2022
When she comes down to get her bag, she flips up her niqab and gives me a grim smile.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
