turban
turban
UK[ˈtɜːbən]US[ˈtɜːrbən]
n
a head covering for a man, worn especially by muslims and sikhs, made from a long piece of cloth wound tightly around the head.
n
a woman's hat that resembles a turban.
Etymology
the word 'turban' entered english in the 16th century from middle french 'turbant', which itself was borrowed from italian 'turbante'. the italian term came from ottoman turkish 'tülbent', meaning 'gauze' or 'muslin', a reference to the fine cloth used. this turkish word ultimately derives from persian 'dulband'. the journey of the word, following the object itself through trade and cultural exchange, reflects a history of linguistic adaptation where the name for the distinctive headdress was adopted whole into european languages without morphological analysis.
Analysis
this word is a loanword adopted as a single, unsegmentable unit into english.
Examples
the sikh gentleman wore a neatly tied white turban.
she accessorized her evening gown with a stylish silk turban.
the traditional costume included a brightly colored turban.