garb

1 of 2

noun

ˈgärb 

1

obsolete : fashion, manner

2

a

: a style of apparel

b

: outward form : appearance

garb

2 of 2

verb

garbed; garbing; garbs

transitive verb

: to cover with or as if with clothing

Synonyms of garb

Noun

• costume
• attire
• clothes
• dress

Verb

• clothe
• dress
• attire
• costume
• apparel
• gown
• garment

Examples of garb in a Sentence

Noun

decided to clothe himself in traditional Scottish garb for the celebration

a fable about personal redemption presented in the garb of a conventional horror story

Verb

firefighters garbed in protective gear

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Evening programs were introduced by a man in a tuxedo, or a woman in equally formal garb, and rounded off by the playing of the national anthem. —Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 May 2026

Guests arrived to the sprawling location welcomed by greeters in traditional garb on horseback and a female group of traditional singers. —Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 1 May 2026

Verb

In another photo released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee, Epstein appears to be garbed in traditional Arab black-and-gold robes and a red-and-white headdress known as a Shemagh. —Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026

On last year’s Switcheroo, lapsed L.A. folkie Angel Abaya reintroduced herself as Gelli Haha, a Pierrot clown garbed in red Latex. —Walden Green, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Middle French & Italian; Middle French garbe "graceful contour, grace," borrowed from Italian garbo "grace, charm, good manners, form, outline of a ship's hull made from wood pieces," of uncertain origin

Note: If the sense "outline of a ship's hull" is prior to the more abstract senses, the modern Italian word probably continues an earlier etymon represented by (alleged) medieval Genoese dialect garibu in the sense "model of a hull," itself ultimately a loan from Arabic qālib "mold, shoemaker's last" (see caliber); details of attestation are thus far incompletely documented, however. An earlier hypothesis connecting garbo (and the related verb garbare "to be becoming to, please") to Germanic *garwjan- "to prepare, make ready" (presumably via Gothic; see gear entry 1, yare) is questionable on semantic and phonetic grounds.

Verb

derivative of garb entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1673, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for garb

• arb
• barb
• barbe
• aldicarb
• rhubarb

Kids Definition

garb

noun

ˈgärb

1

: style of dress

2

: outward form : appearance

garb verb