Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A veil worn by Muslim women that covers most or all of the face, having a narrow opening or mesh covering for the eyes.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A veil which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijab.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a face veil covering the lower part of the face (up to the eyes) worn by observant Muslim women

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Arabic niqāb, from naqaba, to pierce, bore a hole, perforate; see nqb in Semitic roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Arabic نقاب (niqāb).

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  • A face veil used by some observant Muslim women, leaving only the eyes uncovered. The niqab itself is a small piece of cloth tied on over the headscarf (often known as the hijab, although this word is more accurately translated as "modesty"); cf the burqa, an all-in-one tent-like garment brought to Western attention via Afghanistan. The niqab is particularly prevalent in Arab countries. It is almost invariably black, and is worn with a chador (a loose overgarment) and, often, gloves.

    December 30, 2008