kaffiyeh

noun

kaf·​fi·​yeh kə-ˈfē-ə How to pronounce kaffiyeh (audio)
variants or less commonly
: an Arab headdress consisting of a square of cloth folded to form a triangle and held on by a cord

Examples of kaffiyeh in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most wore kaffiyeh scarves or other coverings obscuring their faces. Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025 The nation in brief Protesters enter Barnard dean's building NEW YORK -- Pro-Palestinian protesters wearing kaffiyeh scarves and masks pushed their way into Barnard College's Milbank Hall, which houses the offices of the dean, and assaulted a school employee Wednesday, according to the school. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025 The red kaffiyeh, for instance, is more popular in Jordan, suggests Kuraishi. Solcyré Burga, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024 And in September, in the town of Cedarhurst, a protester was arrested and charged with wearing a kaffiyeh, a traditional Arab headdress. Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Nov. 2024 The bartenders had tattoos down to their wrists and up to their necks; one woman wore glasses and a black-and-white kaffiyeh, telegraphing her support for Palestinians in Gaza under siege; a guy had a gray hoodie on beneath an Eagles jersey. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024 But other predominant colors of the kaffiyeh are popular in other territories. Solcyré Burga, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024 Campbell, who is African American, had draped a kaffiyeh around her neck. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2024 Some wore kaffiyeh scarves, waved Palestinian and Lebanese flags and held a large cardboard image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with red paint symbolizing blood across his face. Giada Zampano and Sylvia Hui, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Arabic kūfīya, kaffīya, from al-Kufa Al-Kufa, town in Iraq

First Known Use

circa 1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kaffiyeh was circa 1817

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kaffiyeh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kaffiyeh. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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