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Definition of kerchief

kerchief

/ˈkɝːtʃɪf/
ker · chief
Plural:kerchiefs
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kerchief Lexical Profile

kerchief Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A square or rectangular piece of cloth worn as a covering for the head or tied around the neck.

Example

"She tied a brightly colored kerchief over her hair to protect it from the prairie wind."

2

A piece of cloth used for wiping the face or nose; a handkerchief.

Example

"The weary gentleman pulled a clean kerchief from his breast pocket to dab his sweating brow."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for kerchief

• Rhymes for kerchief

• Nearby Words

kepler
kepler falls
keratin
kerchief
kerchoo
kerfuffle
kerinci

Word Origin & Etymology

From Middle English courchef, borrowed from Old French couvrechief, literally meaning 'cover the head', derived from couvrir ('to cover') and chief ('head').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Kerchief. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 2, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/kerchief
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