Sarongs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of garment made from a length of cloth wrapped around the body, often worn by women in tropical climates
2. A versatile piece of clothing that can serve as a dress, beach cover-up, or skirt, typically made from vibrant fabrics
3. An article of clothing common in Southeast Asia, usually fashioned from a single piece of fabric tied at the waist and culturally significant in various regions

Etymology: "Sarongs" is the plural of "sarong," a noun for the wrapped cloth garment worn around the waist or body across much of Southeast Asia, the Pacific and parts of South Asia. The singular comes from Malay "sarung," meaning a sheath, case or covering, and the garment took its name from that sense of something that encloses or wraps. English borrowed the word from Malay, where "sarung" is still the ordinary term for the same cloth. Malay has a whole family of related words built on the idea of covering, so the garment is named for what it does rather than for its material or pattern.

Synonyms: wraps, cloaks, skirts, shawls, drapes