kerchief

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a square scarf that is folded into a triangle and worn over the head or about the neck

   My kerchief has a wild pattern.

Simplified etymology

Kerchief entered Middle English as kerchef from Old French cuevrechief, a compound of couvrir, “to cover,” and chief, “head.” It originally denoted a woman’s cloth headdress or other covering worn over the hair; its sense “cloth” later appears in the 16th-century compound handkerchief.

From Middle English keverchef, coverchef et al., from Old French couvrechief, from couvrir (“to cover”) + chief (“head”). Compare curfew.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary