chador
UK[ˈtʃʌdə]US[ˈtʃʌdər]
n
a large piece of cloth that some Muslim women wear to cover their head and upper body, leaving only the face visible
Etymology
The word 'chador' entered English directly from Persian, carrying with it a specific cultural and sartorial meaning. Its Persian source, 'čādar', historically meant a piece of cloth used as a tent, sheet, or covering, reflecting a core semantic idea of protection and enclosure. This ancient sense of a covering object evolved in Persian to refer specifically to the full-body veil worn by women. Upon adoption into English, the word shed its broader, older meanings of 'tent' or 'sheet' and became a precise, culturally-loaded term for the traditional Iranian outer garment, illustrating how a loanword can narrow in meaning to denote a distinct item from its source culture.
Analysis
This word is a direct loanword from Persian (چادر, čādor). In Persian, it originates from the Middle Persian 'čādar', meaning 'tent, veil, sheet', which itself derives from the Old Iranian root čātar- or kāt- meaning 'to cover'.
Examples
She wore a black chador that flowed down to her ankles.
The chador is traditionally held closed at the front by the wearer's hands or teeth.
Styles of the chador can vary in color, fabric, and decorative trim.