yarmulke
nounUK /ˈjɑːməlkə/ · US /ˈjɑ(ɹ)mə(l)kə/
Etymology Borrowed from Yiddish יאַרמלקע (yarmlke), from Polish jarmułka (“skullcap”), from Turkic; compare Turkish yağmurluk (“rain apparel”).
1
Judaism A skullcap worn by religious Jewish males (especially during prayer).
- And I always feel uncomfortable during the High Holy Days watching people in yarmulkes rushing through the streets, knowing they’ll be swaying and moaning something ancient and indecipherable, even to me.1991 October 1, Richard Goldstein, “The New Anti-Semitism: A Geshrei”, in Village Voice, archived from the original on 22 Jan 2020, page 33:
- But once Dr. Levenson, who works for the Indian Health Service and wears a colorful tapestry yarmulke, has alerted the tiny network, it almost seems as if we have stepped into Yiddishland.2007 April 29, Patricia Cohen, “The Frozen Dozen”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 13 Dec 2023:
1 more example
- “I call on all citizens of Berlin and across Germany to wear the yarmulke (as the skullcap is known in Yiddish) next Saturday if there are new, intolerable attacks targeting Israel and Jews on the occasion of Al-Quds Day in Berlin,” said Felix Klein in a statement.2019 May 28, Jack Guy, Antonia Mortensen, “Germans urged to wear Jewish skullcap ahead of anti-Israel protests”, in CNN, archived from the original on 25 Feb 2021:
- Related terms
- small hat