What does chador mean?
A chador is a large, loose-fitting cloth garment worn chiefly by women in Iran as an outer covering for the head and body. Usually black and open at the front, it is held closed at the neck or chin by the hands or, increasingly, by clasps, and it is distinguished from other forms of Islamic dress by its full-body drape rather than being a fitted coat or a simple scarf. Wearing the chador is customary in certain religious settings such as shrines, and it has been required by law in Iran since the 1979 revolution, which makes it not merely an item of clothing but also a potent cultural and political symbol. In everyday English usage, the word appears most often in journalism, travel writing, and discussions of dress codes, where it carries connotations of Iranian tradition and religious observance. The term derives from Persian chādor, meaning 'sheet' or 'veil'.
nounA large piece of cloth, typically dark in colour, worn by some Muslim women, especially in Iran, as a loose outer garment that covers the head and body.
- A full-length loose outer garment, usually black, draped by some women in Iran and neighbouring regions over the head and body.
"She drew her black chador more closely around her face as she stepped into the crowded bazaar."
"Most women in the shrine had chosen to wear the traditional black chador rather than a simple headscarf."
"In old photographs of Tehran, nearly every woman in the street is wrapped in a chador."
Both the anglicized plural 'chadors' and the invariant form are found; the invariant form is common in British usage and in ethnographic writing.
"Rows of mourners in black chadors filled the courtyard."
The word 'chador' comes from the Persian for 'tent' — because the garment quite literally turns the wearer's whole body into one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chador
The word 'chador' entered English in the early modern period through travel accounts of Persia, borrowing directly from Persian chādor, meaning a sheet, veil, or covering. The Persian noun is traditionally traced back to an Indo-Iranian source connected with Sanskrit chatra, 'canopy' or 'umbrella', reflecting the idea of a fabric spread over something like a tent. A closely related borrowing appears in South Asian English as 'chuddar', used for a similar wrap or shawl.
How chador is actually used
The word is strongly associated with Iran in particular; using it for head coverings elsewhere can be inaccurate, since comparable garments in other countries have their own names. The plural is often left unchanged (chador), though 'chadors' is also accepted.
Easily confused with chador
A hijab is any modest Islamic headscarf covering the hair and neck, whereas a chador is specifically the full-body Iranian cloak that drapes over the entire figure.
Chowder is a type of thick seafood soup, entirely unrelated in meaning to chador despite the similar spelling.