headscarf

noun

head·​scarf ˈhed-ˌskärf 

plural headscarves ˈhed-ˌskärvz  also headscarfs

: a fabric covering for the head worn especially by women

… young, well-educated European Muslim women who wear the headscarf as a conscious, articulate choice …

—Timothy Garton Ash

The stereotypical fortuneteller, a wizened old woman in a fringed headscarf hunched over a crystal ball …

—Louise Erdich

The US Justice Department, for example, has supported the right of Muslim girls to wear headscarves in public schools.

—Robert O. Paxton

Examples of headscarf in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, Loro Piana’s headscarves at the presentation were sophisticated with a modern twist, drawing inspiration from Queen Elizabeth’s style. —Sandra Salibian, WWD, 17 Mar. 2025

The party has also tried to ban headscarves for women. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025

For women wearing Islamic face coverings or headscarves, many felt this was a clear attempt at weaponizing their modesty against them, said Baloch. —Esha Mitra, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024

Karrueche Tran, Teyana Taylor and Lori Harvey all posed for pictures together, with Harvey even stopping to fix Taylor's headscarf at one point. —Brianne Tracy, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for headscarf

• scarf
• scharf