sheitel

American  

[sheyt-l] / ˈʃeɪt l /

noun

Yiddish.

PLURAL

sheitlen

1. a wig worn by certain Orthodox Jewish married women in keeping with an old rabbinical precept that forbids a woman to leave her hair uncovered in the sight of a man other than her husband.

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Example Sentences

Ms. Haart chafed under similar restrictions and ultimately ditched them along with her sheitel and calf-sweeping skirts, trading them for the gilded accouterments of corporate success.

From New York Times

“That’s the level of fear I had. To me, taking my sheitel off meant God was going to kill me and I would go to hell.”

From New York Times

While some women chose merely to cover their hair with a cloth or sheitel, or wig, the most zealous shave their heads beneath to ensure that their hair is never seen by others.

From New York Times

She has published a booklet, “The Sheitel Advantage,” which has since made her a sought-out authority on the subject.

From New York Times

She wears a sheitel in public, and removes it in the bedroom dutifully.

From Washington Times