yarmulke

or yar·mel·ke, yar·mul·ka

[ yahr-muh l-kuh, -muh-, yah- ]
/ ˈyɑr məl kə, -mə-, ˈyɑ- /

noun Judaism.

a skullcap worn, especially during prayer and religious study, by Jewish males, especially those adhering to Orthodox or Conservative tradition.

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Origin of yarmulke

1940–45; < Yiddish yarmlke < Polish jarmułka (earlier jałmurka, jamułka) or Ukrainian yarmúlka < Turkic; compare Turkish yağmurluk rain apparel, equivalent to yağmur rain + -luk noun suffix of appurtenance

Words nearby yarmulke

yark, yarkand, yarkant he, yarmouth, yarmuk, yarmulke, yarn, yarn-dyed, yaroslavl, yarovize, yarra river
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for yarmulke

British Dictionary definitions for yarmulke

yarmulke
/ (ˈjɑːməlkə) /

noun

Judaism a skullcap worn by orthodox male Jews at all times, and by others during prayer

Word Origin for yarmulke

from Yiddish, from Ukrainian and Polish yarmulka cap, probably from Turkish yaǧmurluk raincoat, from yaǧmur rain
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

Cultural definitions for yarmulke

yarmulke
[ (yah-muh-kuh, yahr-muhl-kuh) ]

In Orthodox Judaism and Conservative Judaism, a skullcap worn by men as a sign of reverence while praying to God or talking about him.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.