Meaning & use
kerchief
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Meanings
nouncountableold-fashioned
A square of cloth tied over the hair or around the neck, as a covering or decoration.
Grammar: Takes an or the in the singular and an -s in the plural: a red kerchief, two kerchiefs.
Patterns
- a kerchief around someone's neck
- tie a kerchief
The farmer wiped his forehead and retied the blue kerchief around his neck.
She wore a flowered kerchief over her curlers while she cleaned the house.
The dancers all had bright kerchiefs knotted at their throats.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A small cloth carried to wipe the nose or face; a handkerchief.
Grammar: In this sense it is usually shortened from handkerchief and sounds dated.
Patterns
- wipe something with a kerchief
Grandfather pulled a clean kerchief from his pocket and dried her tears.
She pressed a lace kerchief to her lips and sighed.
He folded the kerchief neatly before putting it away.
Word forms
| plural | kerchiefs |
|---|
Common combinations
- silk kerchief
- A silk kerchief peeked out of his jacket pocket.
- tie a kerchief
- She tied a kerchief over her hair before going out in the wind.
- red kerchief
- The cowboy wore a red kerchief around his neck.
- embroidered kerchief
- The gift was an embroidered kerchief from her aunt.
- wave a kerchief
- The children waved a kerchief as the train left the station.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bandanna
- A bandanna is a large patterned cotton square, so it names one popular type of kerchief and sounds more modern.
- scarf
- Scarf is the everyday modern word and can be long and woolen, whereas a kerchief is normally a small square.
- handkerchief
- Handkerchief is the standard word for a small cloth used to wipe the nose, while kerchief is the shorter and more old-fashioned form.
- headscarf
- Headscarf says clearly that the cloth covers the head, which a kerchief does not have to do.
Word family
- handkerchief noun
- a small cloth for wiping the nose or face
- neckerchief noun
- a kerchief worn around the neck
- kerchiefed adjective
- wearing a kerchief, mainly in literary descriptions
Commonly confused: kerchief or handkerchief?
kerchief vs handkerchief
A handkerchief is mainly for wiping, while a kerchief is mainly worn on the head or neck, although the two words overlap in older writing.
Practice
Which of these is a kerchief?
Choose one answer.
A kerchief is a small square of cloth worn on the head or neck. The other options are tools or footwear, not pieces of cloth.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “kerchief”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.