Plural of burnoos, a long loose outer garment with a hood worn by people in some Arab countries and North Africa.
From French burnous, derived from Arabic burnus. The word entered European languages through trade and colonial contact with North Africa in the 17th century, originally referring to the Berber hooded cloak.
This garment became so iconic that European painters obsessed over painting people wearing burnooses during the Orientalist movement—but they often got the cultural details completely wrong, showing how exotic fashion can be misunderstood when viewed from far away.
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