shawl

[shawl]

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noun

a square, triangular, or oblong piece of wool or other material worn, especially by women, about the shoulders, or the head and shoulders, in place of a coat or hat outdoors, and indoors as protection against chill or dampness.

Origin of shawl

First recorded in 1655–65, shawl is from the Persian word shāl

Related formsshawl·less, adjectiveshawl·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for shawl

cloth, stole, scarf, mantle, cape, manta, tallith, fichu, serape, maud

Examples from the Web for shawl

Contemporary Examples of shawl

The shawl, we learn, weaves its way through Mexican life, from its use as a baby carrier to a shroud used to bury the dead.
Shining a Spotlight on Mexico’s Iconic Textile—the Rebozo
Liza Foreman
June 16, 2014
Among the 50 new works included is a shawl made of used tea bags that resembles a ceremonial cloak.
Shining a Spotlight on Mexico’s Iconic Textile—the Rebozo
Liza Foreman
June 16, 2014
When that isn't possible, Schroeder says, the site styles and photographs the dress with a shawl or jacket.
Fashion of a Certain Age New Website Halsbrook.com Caters to Mature Shoppers
Robin Givhan
November 4, 2012
He penetrated the Kaabah itself, secretly sketching its interior on his shawl while pretending to pray.
P.J. O’Rourke Picks His Favorite Travel Books
P. J. O’Rourke
November 12, 2011
At the pay booth, Cruz dropped the window and handed ten dollars to a Somali woman in a shawl.
Danger Stalks Lucas Davenport
Daily Beast Promotions
May 11, 2009

Historical Examples of shawl

"Robin, you might get me my shawl;" and Robin would go and get the shawl and put it round her.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair
When that was done she made a bundle of her cloak and shawl, and lay down in her clothes.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
Mrs. Rosenfeld was standing in the lower hall, a shawl about her shoulders.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
I shall wrap myself in a shawl, which will hide a portion of my face.
Camps, Quarters and Casual Places
Archibald Forbes
The girl's face flushed, and she began to fumble the shawl nervously with her fingers.
The Underdog
F. Hopkinson Smith

British Dictionary definitions for shawl

shawl

noun

a piece of fabric or knitted or crocheted material worn around the shoulders by women or wrapped around a baby

Word Origin for shawl

C17: from Persian shāl

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 shawl

1660s, originally of a type of scarf worn in Asia, from Urdu and other Indian languages, from Persian shal, sometimes said to be named for Shaliat, town in India where it was first manufactured [Klein]. Cf. French châle, Spanish chal, Italian scialle, German Shawl (from English), Russian shal, all ultimately from the same source. As the name of an article of clothing worn by Western women, it is recorded from 1767.