Scarf
/skɑːrf/noun
A length of fabric worn around the neck, head, or shoulders for warmth, fashion, or religious dress.
Did you know?The word likely came into English through Scandinavian and/or northern dialect forms meaning a strip or shreds of cloth, showing how everyday clothing words often began as practical descriptions of torn material rather than elegant fashion terms.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skerbaną
“to cut, shear, or scrape”
Old Norse / Scandinavian dialects
ON
skarfr / skarfr-
“a cut strip, fragment, or rough piece of cloth”
Middle English
ME
scarf
“a strip, sash, or loose piece of cloth”
16th–17th Century
English
scarf
“a decorative neck or shoulder covering”
Modern English
English
scarf
“a cloth worn around the neck, head, or shoulders”