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

More than a hundred women crowded in - so many there weren't enough chairs - many wearing black abayas and headscarves.

Read more on BBC

Among the eager takers were Emirati students and engineers — the men in the long white robe known as a thobe, the women in abayas.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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.

Read more on 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.

Read more on Seattle Times

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

Read more on Seattle Times