What does chuddar mean?
A chuddar is a large piece of cloth used as a covering, wrap, or veil, especially in South Asia. It may be placed over the head or shoulders, drawn around the body, or used as an additional layer against cold. In English, the word is chiefly associated with the cultural and everyday vocabulary of South Asia rather than with formal international usage. The spelling chuddar is the common British-form transliteration of the Hindi word chādar, also written chadar or chaddar, and the term ultimately comes through Persian. Because it can refer both to a specific garment and to the cloth used for such coverings, its meaning depends somewhat on context. Chuddar is useful to English speakers because it identifies a familiar South Asian form of dress and textile use with a precise lexical item, while also illustrating how ordinary objects become stable loans when carried between languages and cultures.
nounA large sheet or wrap of cloth, especially one worn over the head or shoulders by people in South Asia.
- A large sheet or wrap of cloth worn over the head, shoulders, or body, particularly in South Asia.
"She drew the chuddar over her head as the evening breeze picked up."
"He wrapped the chuddar around his shoulders to keep out the cold."
"The old cotton chuddar served as both a shawl and a sleeping cover."
The regular plural adds -s to the end of the word.
"The shop sells cotton chuddars for the winter."
One ordinary South Asian cloth carries several possibilities: it can be a veil, a shoulder wrap, or a covering for the whole body.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chuddar
Chuddar comes through South Asian English from Hindi चादर (cādar), also transliterated chaddar, which was borrowed from Persian چادر (chādor), a word for a veil, curtain, or covering. The loan entered English during British rule in India, and chuddar became a familiar British-spelling form alongside chadar and chaddar. Its Persian relation is also reflected in the English word chador, denoting a cloak-like veil.
How chuddar is actually used
The word is characteristic of South Asian English and may sound regional or unusual to speakers of other English varieties.
Easily confused with chuddar
Chadar and chuddar are spelling variants of the same South Asian loanword rather than distinct objects.