1. The headscarf worn by Muslim women, sometimes including a veil that covers the face except for the eyes.
2. The veiling or seclusion of women in some Islamic societies, customarily practiced in order to maintain standards of modesty.

[Arabic ḥijāb, curtain, veil, from ḥajaba, to cover.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.