abaya

[ uh-bey-yuh ]

noun

1. a coarse, felted fabric woven of camel's or goat's hair.
2. a loose, sleeveless outer garment made of this fabric or of silk, worn by Arabs.

abaya

/ əˈbaɪə /

noun

1. a long black long-sleeved robe worn by Muslim women in Arabic-speaking countries, often with a headscarf or veil

Word History and Origins

Origin of abaya¹

First recorded in 1805–15; from Arabic ʿabā'(ah)

Word History and Origins

Origin of abaya¹

Arabic

Example Sentences

He recalls once “making a scene” when he saw a student wearing an abaya over pajamas — the student code prohibits the latter alongside shorts and revealing necklines.

From Seattle Times

Last year, the Education Minister, who’s now Prime Minister, said the ban included abayas and qamis, clothing traditionally worn in Muslim-majority countries — a move criticized by the U.S. government’s Commission on International Religious Freedom.

From Seattle Times

Women are no longer required to wear the fully cloaking black abaya.

From Seattle Times

These included calls for an end to the guardianship system and videos of her shopping without an abaya, they added.

From BBC

On the Palestinian side, a woman in an abaya, mask and keffiyeh on the steps of Royce Hall held up a sign that said “You cannot defeat people who are not afraid to die.”

From Los Angeles Times