A long scarf or shawl worn over the shoulders or head in South Asian clothing, especially in traditional dress.
From Hindi and Urdu दुपट्टा (dupaṭṭā), ultimately derived from Sanskrit. The word has been used in South Asian fashion for centuries and entered English through colonial contact with India.
The dupatta is a perfect example of how languages borrow fashion vocabulary—just like English uses 'sari' and 'saree,' it adopted 'dupatta' to describe something that doesn't quite translate to Western garment categories.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.