Definitions

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

  • noun Any of several cloth head coverings worn by Muslim women.
  • noun The veiling of women in some Islamic societies, customarily practiced in order to maintain standards of modesty.

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

  • noun uncountable, Islam The veil worn by women beyond the age of puberty in front of non-related adult males.
  • noun countable The hajib headscarf.

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

  • noun the custom in some Islamic societies of women dressing modestly outside the home
  • noun a headscarf worn by Muslim women; conceals the hair and neck and usually has a face veil that covers the face

Etymologies

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

[Arabic ḥijāb, cover, curtain, veil, from ḥajaba, to cover; see ḥgb in Semitic roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Arabic حجب (ħájaba, "to veil, to cover, to screen").

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Examples

  • The word hijab comes from the Arabic for veil and is used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women.

    BBC News - Home 2010

  • The term hijab or veil is not used in the Qur'an to refer to an article of clothing for women or men, rather it refers to a spatial curtain that divides or provides privacy.

    AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed 2010

  • The term hijab or veil is not used in the Qur'an to refer to an article of clothing for women or men, rather it refers to a spatial curtain that divides or provides privacy.

    AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed 2010

  • The term hijab or veil is not used in the Qur'an to refer to an article of clothing for women or men, rather it refers to a spatial curtain that divides or provides privacy.

    AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed 2010

  • The term hijab or veil is not used in the Qur'an to refer to an article of clothing for women or men, rather it refers to a spatial curtain that divides or provides privacy.

    AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed 2010

  • The term hijab or veil is not used in the Qur'an to refer to an article of clothing for women or men, rather it refers to a spatial curtain that divides or provides privacy.

    AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed 2010

  • The term hijab or veil is not used in the Qur'an to refer to an article of clothing for women or men, rather it refers to a spatial curtain that divides or provides privacy.

    AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed 2010

  • The term hijab or veil is not used in the Qur'an to refer to an article of clothing for women or men, rather it refers to a spatial curtain that divides or provides privacy.

    AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed 2010

  • The term hijab or veil is not used in the Qur'an to refer to an article of clothing for women or men, rather it refers to a spatial curtain that divides or provides privacy.

    AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed 2010

  • Besides being for modesty, the hijab is also a representation of Islamic identity.

    I Don’t Get Religious Coverings « Colleen Anderson 2010

Comments

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  • The face veil on its own is called a niqab.

    April 30, 2009

  • From p. 11 of Dave Eggers' "Zeitoun":

    "Kathy adjusted her hijab in the front window, tucking in stray hairs -- it was a nervous habit -- while watching Zeitoun leave the driveway in a swirling grey cloud."

    July 29, 2012