Definitions

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

  • noun Used as a disparaging term for an Arab or other person from a culture in which turbans are worn.

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

  • noun pejorative, slang A member of the Muslims, Arabs, Sikhs, and other groups that traditionally wear headdress such as a turban and keffiyeh or headscarf.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • There†™ s never an excuse for bigotry and namecalling, and certainly those who would use the term towelhead are doing so in an attempt to be insulting, mean-spirited, and contemptuous.

    FlickFilosopher.com 2009

  • There was an appeal that had been filed in the Supreme Court by the attorneys of a skinhead whod written the word towelhead in white paint on the driveway of his employer, a Pakistani convenience store owner whod fired him for being drunk on the job; some research about why the words under God had been added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 during the McCarthy era; and a stack of mail equally balanced between desperate souls who wanted me to fight on their behalf and right-wing conservatives who berated the ACLU for making it criminal to be a white churchgoing Christian.

    Change of Heart Jodi Picoult 2008

  • Besides the fact that the main character must endure taunting about her ethnicity including being called a towelhead, so much of the novel's plot is fueled by the characters' attitudes toward race.

    Alan Ball and Alicia Erian Defend Title of Towelhead « FirstShowing.net 2008

  • As chants of his name by the delighted fans grew ever more thunderous, Ernests seeked refuge in a 'towelhead' moment to rally his concentration.

    WordPress.com News 2009

  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said, "The word ( 'towelhead') is commonly used in a derogatory manner against people of the Muslim faith or Arab origin ...

    talkturkey 2008

  • If the carpet in your cave is also your primary means of transportation, then you might be a towelhead, my friend!

    AFGHANISTAN BANS ‘THE KITE RUNNER’ 2008

  • The tragic story of the towelhead that wiped out Bhutto.

    BHUTTO BIO BLUEPRINT BEFORE BODY BURIED 2008

  • In any case, it seemed safer to go with “towelhead.”

    Cheeseburger Gothic » Oz review. 2010

  • Eagerly awaiting the Allen malaprop moment: "A rose between a towelhead and a dyke" perhaps?

    Thompson Co-Chairs Include George Allen ��� And Dick Cheney's Daughter 2009

  • Obamabots: That monster ogre bitch just called him a towelhead!

    Report: Obama Adviser Calls Hillary A "Monster" 2009

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