Definition of "burqa" []

• A loose, usually black or light blue robe that is worn by Muslim women, especially in Afghanistan, and that covers the body from head to toe. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The argument that banning the burqa is about eliminating family or marital pressures placed upon women to wear the burqa against their will overlooks existing laws against such criminal behaviors."
• "Teasing out whether the burqa is a form of oppression or a symbol of righteous modesty depends upon whom one asks."
• "I'm far more interested in the implication that the burqa is used here to symbolize a woman who is being degraded."