hijab

noun

hi·​jab hē-ˈjäb 

-ˈjab

1

plural hijabs : a covering for the hair and neck that is worn by some Muslim women

The website offers Muslim women an array of hijabs for every occasion—including sports—without skimping on quality, comfort, or modest principles.

—Sara Holzman

While Muslim women wear hijabs to show modesty and piety, every woman has her own reason for wearing a hijab, but Mohammad Zal said many people mistake these reasons for coercion.

—Christine Fernando

… women are burning their headscarves in the street. … They don't object to the hijab itself; they object to not having the right to choose whether to wear it.

—Roya Hakakian

… as part of a controversial decade-long effort to curb the public expression of religion, the French Senate voted 160-143 Tuesday in favor of a bill seeking to amend its national Sports Code to ban athletes from wearing religious symbols, such as hijabs … at sports competitions, public swimming pools, and bathing areas.

—Ananya Upadhya

The dispute began … at a college preparatory school for girls in Udupi, a city in southwestern Karnataka, when teachers there barred several Muslim students from entering their classrooms while wearing hijabs.

—Sameer Yasir

2

: a set of principles and practices in Islam relating to modesty and morality and especially to covering oneself (as by wearing a hijab)

"… hijab is not just about outer appearances; it is also about noble speech, dignified and righteous conduct, and modesty. …"

—brochure, quoted in The Houston Chronicle

"Since a majority of my clients are Muslim, some will be observing hijab, which is a religious observance, usually interpreted by wearing a headscarf and dressing modestly. …"

—Fatin Jarara

Farooqi and others are dressed in classic American volunteer attire—yellow T-shirts emblazoned with a logo—but the men also wear … skullcaps and the women observe hijab, covering their hair and necks with scarves.

—Harry Bruinius

Examples of hijab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some wear hijabs and kufi hats, others are dressed in tank tops, hoodies, cargo pants and mini skirts. —Leah Dolan, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

Will others follow suit? Clark and Aziz both wore hijabs in line with their Muslim faith, which covers a woman’s hair, ears and neck, but leaves her face exposed. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024

Many Iranians are still reeling from the violent government crackdown on the nationwide protests that began over a year ago with the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the morality police in September 2022 for allegedly failing to wear her hijab properly. —Susannah George, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024

The video shows a woman in a hijab walking down a tunnel, followed by a young girl and two boys. —NBC News, 16 Feb. 2024

In it, a contemporary woman takes up ballet, trades her hijab for a tiara and inspires other women to remove their hijabs. —Brian Seibert, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024

The movement was quashed by authorities, and Iran’s parliament passed draconian new legislation imposing much harsher penalties on women who breach hijab rules. —Rosa Rahimi, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024

The protest of Iranian women cited by the directors was sparked by the death in police custody of the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly failing to correctly wear her hijab, or religious headscarf. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024

The sheriff’s office deleted all booking photos of Johnston without her hijab from its records on Jan. 19, according to a Jan. 22 court filing. —Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Arabic ḥijāb cover, screen, veil

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 2