burka

1 of 2

noun (1)

bur·​ka ˈbu̇r-kə 

variants or burqa

: a loose enveloping garment that covers the face and body and is worn in public by certain Muslim women

burqa

2 of 2

noun (2)

bur·​qa

variant spelling of burka

: a loose enveloping garment that covers the face and body and is worn in public by certain Muslim women

Examples of burka in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Australian Senator Pauline Hanson reignited controversy in parliament on Monday when the far-right populist lawmaker arrived on the Senate floor wearing a burka, a stunt intended to highlight her call for a nationwide ban on full-face coverings. — Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025

In another tweet from September 2, 2020, Gascón, who is from Spain, posted a photo of a Muslim family, including a woman wearing a burka, in a restaurant, mocking the role of women in Islam. — Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 28 Nov. 2024

Noun

In one case documented by AHRDO, identified as PF003, the victim was detained from the public bazaar for wearing a long coat instead of the burqa. — Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 8 Sep. 2026

Restore Britain would ban the burqa, and Restore Britain would ensure that all London stations use English. — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Urdu, Persian & Arabic; Urdu burqaʽ, from Persian burqaʽ, burquʽ, from Arabic burquʽ

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1836, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for burka

• circa
• perca
• mazurka

Kids Definition

burka

noun

bur·​ka

variants or burqa

ˈbu̇r-kə

: a loose garment that covers the head, face, and body and is worn in public by certain Muslim women