Meaning & use
caftan
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Meanings
nouncountable
A long, loose robe with wide sleeves, worn by men and women, originally in the Middle East and North Africa.
Grammar: Countable: a silk caftan, two caftans.
Patterns
- wear a caftan
- a caftan of something
The shopkeeper wore a striped caftan that reached the floor.
She slipped a silk caftan over her swimsuit.
A traditional caftan was made for the wedding ceremony.
nouncountable
A loose, flowing dress in a similar style, worn as casual or beachwear.
Grammar: Countable: a beach caftan, a long caftan.
Patterns
- a caftan for something
She packed a bright caftan for the beach vacation.
A cotton caftan stays cool in summer.
He bought his mother a printed caftan for her birthday.
Word forms
| plural | caftans |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a caftan
- On hot days she likes to wear a caftan.
- silk caftan
- The silk caftan felt cool against her skin.
- embroidered caftan
- The embroidered caftan took months to sew.
- flowing caftan
- A flowing caftan moved in the breeze.
- beach caftan
- A beach caftan is perfect over a swimsuit.
Synonyms and how they differ
- kaftan
- It is the usual British spelling of the same word.
- robe
- This is the general word for a loose outer garment, and is not always long or decorated.
- tunic
- It is usually shorter and may be worn with trousers, unlike a full-length caftan.
- muumuu
- It is a loose Hawaiian-style dress, with different origins and often brighter patterns.
Word family
- kaftan noun
- the British spelling of caftan
- djellaba noun
- a long hooded robe worn in North Africa
Commonly confused: caftan or kimono?
caftan vs kimono
A Japanese garment with a wrap front and a sash, while a caftan is a loose pull-on robe with no wrap.
Practice
Which item would you most likely wear as a caftan?
Choose one answer.
A caftan is a long, loose garment. A jacket, boots and hat are different kinds of clothes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “caftan”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.