Samarra

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of traditional, often embroidered garment worn in various cultures, particularly in the Middle East and Central Asia
2. A richly decorated coat or jacket, commonly associated with specific ethnic groups and ceremonial occasions
3. An item of clothing characterized by its distinctive patterns and cultural significance, often used in festive attire

Etymology: "Samarra" is an alternative form of "simar," a long, loose robe worn by judges, churchmen and others of rank, and the spelling shows how the word has travelled. It was borrowed from French "simarre," which named a type of robe, and that French word came from Italian "cimarra" or "zimarra." Italian in turn carried it in from further east, a route that helps explain why the garment's name arrived in English with a foreign look. The word is a doublet of "chimer," meaning the same robe reached English by a second path. Two forms of one Italian ancestor, borrowed at different times and in different shapes, ended up as separate English words, which is why a dictionary lists them as relatives rather than as one word spelled two ways.

Synonyms: archaeological site, ancient city