headscarf
noun
head·scarf
ˈhed-ˌskärf 
plural headscarves
ˈhed-ˌskärvz
also headscarfs
also headscarfs
: a fabric covering for the head worn especially by women
… young, well-educated European Muslim women who wear the headscarf as a conscious, articulate choice …—
Timothy Garton Ash
Timothy Garton AshThe stereotypical fortuneteller, a wizened old woman in a fringed headscarf hunched over a crystal ball …—Louise Erdich
Louise ErdichThe US Justice Department, for example, has supported the right of Muslim girls to wear headscarves in public schools.—Robert O. Paxton
Robert O. Paxton
Examples of headscarf in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Analise Assad, a young Lebanese-American woman who favors Prada sunglasses and a modest headscarf, is leading a double life.
—Tom Nolan, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2023
Iranian activists this week accused them of assaulting a teenage girl for not wearing a headscarf in a Tehran metro station, leading to her hospitalization with serious injuries.
—Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, 6 Oct. 2023
When temperatures soar life slows to a near halt in this city of 170,000, where the streets are crowded with men wearing loose white cotton clothes and women in headscarves who jostle for space with farmers driving donkey carts.
—Annie Gowen, Niko Kommenda and Saiyna Bashir, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2023
Iran’s parliament last month passed a law that would impose punishments of up to 10 years in prison for women who disobey the rules on headscarves.
—Sara Mhaidli, NBC News, 7 Oct. 2023
Many women in the country continue their civil disobedience by not wearing obligatory headscarves in public spaces.
—Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2023
Laws require all women to at least wear a headscarf, or hijab, to cover their hair as a sign of piety.
—Jon Gambrell and Mike Corder, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2023
Iranian women, some without headscarves, walk in downtown Tehran.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 5 Oct. 2023
But traces of a movement that started with some women burning their headscarves are still visible.
—Adam Pourahmadi, CNN, 16 Sep. 2023
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Tom Nolan, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2023
Iranian activists this week accused them of assaulting a teenage girl for not wearing a headscarf in a Tehran metro station, leading to her hospitalization with serious injuries.
—Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, 6 Oct. 2023
When temperatures soar life slows to a near halt in this city of 170,000, where the streets are crowded with men wearing loose white cotton clothes and women in headscarves who jostle for space with farmers driving donkey carts.
—Annie Gowen, Niko Kommenda and Saiyna Bashir, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2023
Iran’s parliament last month passed a law that would impose punishments of up to 10 years in prison for women who disobey the rules on headscarves.
—Sara Mhaidli, NBC News, 7 Oct. 2023
Many women in the country continue their civil disobedience by not wearing obligatory headscarves in public spaces.
—Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2023
Laws require all women to at least wear a headscarf, or hijab, to cover their hair as a sign of piety.
—Jon Gambrell and Mike Corder, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2023
Iranian women, some without headscarves, walk in downtown Tehran.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 5 Oct. 2023
But traces of a movement that started with some women burning their headscarves are still visible.
—Adam Pourahmadi, CNN, 16 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'headscarf.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1688, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near headscarf
Cite this Entry
“Headscarf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headscarf. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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