Meaning & use
jilbab
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Meanings
nouncountable
A long, loose outer garment worn by some Muslim women that covers the body from the shoulders down.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a jilbab or two jilbabs.
Patterns
- wear a jilbab
- a jilbab over something
- take off a jilbab
She put on a plain black jilbab before leaving the house.
The shop sells jilbabs in many colors and lengths.
In the photograph he is standing next to his mother, who is wearing a dark jilbab.
noununcountable
A style of dress in which a long outer coat is worn together with a head covering.
Grammar: Used without an or a when it means the style of dress rather than one garment.
Patterns
- wear jilbab
- adopt jilbab
Some students at the college wear jilbab, and others wear different styles.
Her decision to wear jilbab was her own.
Word forms
| plural | jilbabs |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a jilbab
- She wears a jilbab to work every day.
- a long jilbab
- He bought her a long jilbab for the wedding.
- a black jilbab
- The women in the front row were all in black jilbabs.
- put on a jilbab
- She put on a jilbab over her clothes.
- a jilbab and headscarf
- He described the outfit as a jilbab and headscarf.
Synonyms and how they differ
- abaya
- A long cloak worn in parts of the Middle East and North Africa; it is a regional garment, whereas jilbab is used more widely and often has a looser, coat-like shape.
- hijab
- This means a head covering or, more broadly, modest dress in general, so it does not always mean a full outer garment like a jilbab.
- chador
- A full-length cloth wrapped around the body and head, common in Iran; it is usually one piece of fabric, while a jilbab is often a coat with fastenings.
Word family
- jilbab-clad adjective
- Wearing a jilbab, as in a jilbab-clad woman.
Commonly confused: jilbab or hijab? jilbab or jalaba?
jilbab vs hijab
A hijab covers the head and neck, but a jilbab is a full-length outer garment; a woman may wear both at once.
jilbab vs jalaba
A jalaba (or djellaba) is a long hooded robe worn by men and women in North Africa, not specifically the garment meant by jilbab.
Practice
Which sentence uses "jilbab" correctly?
Choose one answer.
A jilbab is a long outer garment, so "put on a long jilbab" fits. Option 0 describes a headscarf, which is a hijab, not a jilbab; option 3 is nonsense because a jilbab is not footwear.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “jilbab”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.