Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A knitted cap covering the head and neck with an opening for the eyes or face, used as cold-weather gear especially by soldiers, mountain climbers, and skiers.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun close-fitting and woolen and covers all of the head but the face.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A warm cap shielding the neck and head, often made out of wool.
  • noun A ski mask with holes for the eyes and, sometimes, the nose and mouth, which may be rolled up and worn like a toque or pulled over the face for greater protection.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a cap that is close-fitting and woolen and covers all of the head but the face

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[After Balaklava.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Balaklava in the Crimea; type of ski mask used by British troops in bitter cold weather, from Turkish balıklava.

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Examples

  • He was clad in woodsy camouflage and had pulled what she called a balaclava over his head, concealing all save his eyes and mouth under its khaki wool.

    TOO MANY MURDERS Colleen McCullough 2009

  • By virty, December 4, 2009 @ 11: 42 am phillip island and sandringham pubs have great counter lunches. then theres this old mate in balaclava who does authentic greek fare … …. gotta fly, ride day at the track.v. By Nautilus, December 4, 2009 @ 12: 10 pm

    Cheeseburger Gothic » Confirming date, venues, and kick off time. 2009

  • The balaclava is a safety requirement and drivers have been penalised for not wearing the garment in the past but Whincup said he had no reason to be concerned.

    NEWS.com.au | Top Stories 2011

  • His favorite winter gear (other than his new parka) is a balaclava, which is a ski mask that has openings for the eyes, nose, and mouth to shield one from the weather.

    Postbulletin.com Local News 2010

  • I don't know how many tops and bottoms are being made that use the 100wt but my balaclava is a

    unknown title 2009

  • The balaclava is the only item bearing a brand name.

    unknown title 2009

  • On summery first single '' Horchata, '' singer Ezra Koenig gets drunk on multiculturalism, (loosely) rhyming the Mexican rice beverage of the title with '' balaclava '' and '' Masada. ''

    KINGBLIND: Music, Art & Entertainment mblind 2010

  • There's a moment of humour when the word 'balaclava' is accidentally changed to 'baklava', but apart from that, the jokes all come from the script.

    BroadwayWorld.com South Bend Stories 2009

  • There's a moment of humour when the word 'balaclava' is accidentally changed to 'baklava', but apart from that, the jokes all come from the script.

    BroadwayWorld.com South Bend Stories 2009

  • Buffing his nails, sipping a brew, knitting a golden balaclava.

    NICK POP'S BRAIN Penny Goring 2012

Comments

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  • Passamontagna in Italian.

    February 6, 2009

  • Another case of a word whose two halves look like they should rhyme, but don't. In this case, the stressed vowels (1st and 3rd a's) differ, but the unstressed are essentially the same schwa sound.

    June 28, 2011