turban
Americannoun
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a man's headdress worn chiefly by Muslims in southern Asia, consisting of a long cloth of silk, linen, cotton, etc., wound either about a cap or directly around the head.
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any headdress resembling this.
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any of various off-the-face hats for women that are close-fitting, of a soft fabric, and brimless, or that have a narrow, sometimes draped, brim.
noun
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a man's headdress, worn esp by Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs, made by swathing a length of linen, silk, etc, around the head or around a caplike base
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a woman's brimless hat resembling this
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any headdress resembling this
Other Word Forms
- turban-like adjective
- turbaned adjective
- turbanless adjective
- turbanlike adjective
- unturbaned adjective
Etymology
Origin of turban
1555–65; earlier torbant, variant of tulbant < Turkish tülbent < Persian dulband
Explanation
A turban is a long scarf that's wrapped many times around a person's head. Men who are Sikh or Muslim traditionally wear turbans. There is a smaller woman's hat also called a turban that's styled after the traditional turban. Sikhs are the most common wearers of turbans, including some sikh women (although theirs are usually called a Dahtar). Turbans cover long hair and help keep it clean, as well as representing a proud Sikh identity. In Islam, different types of turbans represent different beliefs or social statuses. Turban comes from a Persian root, dulband.
Vocabulary lists containing turban
Put a Lid On It: Hats, Hoods, and Other Headgear
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The Bridge Home
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 13–November 19, 2021
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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.
He studied in a seminary in Qom after his service with the Revolutionary Guard and wears the black turban of a sayyid, indicating that he traces his lineage to the prophet Muhammad.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026
Images of him in his austere wardrobe—a turban, clerical robes and a long, graying beard—appeared in offices, on billboards and murals throughout the country.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
The small canvas shows a young woman set on a dark background, her head turned towards the viewer and a pearl earring glinting from beneath her blue and cream turban.
From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026
The original law prevents judges, police officers, teachers and public servants from wearing symbols such as the kippah, turban, or hijab while at work.
From BBC • Nov. 27, 2025
The bath was like a large beer barrel, and her head was wrapped in a white turban.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
