Boorkas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A garment worn by some Muslim women that covers the body and face for modesty ; a plural form referring to multiple items of such clothing
2. Refers to full-body coverings, often including a veil of mesh for the eyes, traditionally worn for religious or cultural reasons by certain women ; indicates more than one such garment
3. Describes the outer attire encompassing the entire body and face, particularly in Islamic dress codes, with the term representing several of these garments

Etymology: "Boorkas" is simply the plural of "burqa" in the form most English speakers meet it in, and the plural is the more common way the word appears in written English when people are talking about several garments. The singular "boorka" and the plural "boorkas" are two spellings of the same item of clothing, and the form you have here is the plural of that spelling. The garment itself is a long, loose outer covering that falls from the head to the feet and includes a mesh or grille over the eyes, worn by some Muslim women as a expression of modesty in public. Because the word describes a specific item of dress rather than an abstract idea, its history is mainly a matter of how the name was borrowed into English and spelled.

Synonyms: burqa, abaya, chador, veil