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

Another woman, in a white hijab, spoke rapidly and quietly about the Middle East, while Harris nodded. —Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024

Watch on Deadline Twenty-two-year-old Amini died on September 16, 2022, three days after she was arrested by Iran’s morality police and taken into custody for not wearing her hijab correctly. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2024

This was especially true for Hassan, who won gold for the Netherlands in the event and wore her hijab while receiving her medal. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2024

In one example from last school year, an officer allegedly refused to take the complaint of a student wearing a hijab who said a pro-Israel rally participant had followed her while hurling racist insults. —Violet Ikonomova, Detroit Free Press, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Arabic ḥijāb cover, screen, veil

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 2