A cloth covering for the head, typically tied under the chin, worn as a head covering or to keep hair in place.
From 'head' plus 'kerchief' (from Old French 'couvre-chief' meaning 'head-cover'). This compound became common in English by the 15th century.
The headkerchief is one of humanity's oldest fashion-to-function pieces—it solved three problems at once: kept hair clean, protected skin from sun, and signaled social status by the quality of cloth used.
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