garb

1 of 2

noun

ˈgärb How to pronounce garb (audio)
Synonyms of garbnext
1
obsolete : fashion, manner
2
a
: a style of apparel
b
: outward form : appearance

garb

2 of 2

verb

garbed; garbing; garbs

transitive verb

: to cover with or as if with clothing

Synonyms of garb

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Noun

Verb

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Examples of garb in a Sentence

Noun decided to clothe himself in traditional Scottish garb for the celebration a fable about personal redemption presented in the garb of a conventional horror story Verb firefighters garbed in protective gear
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
His previous garb of nerdy suits gave way to sports coats and sneakers. — Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 Combined with his garb, which could include berets and glasses, Jaimoe was simply one of the coolest-looking guys in music. — David Browne, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026
Verb
He was garbed in prison attire and did not speak during the brief hearing. — Arkansas Online, 24 Jan. 2026 He was garbed in prison attire and did not speak during the brief hearing. — Julie Carr Smyth, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for garb

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Middle French & Italian; Middle French garbe "graceful contour, grace," borrowed from Italian garbo "grace, charm, good manners, form, outline of a ship's hull made from wood pieces," of uncertain origin

Note: If the sense "outline of a ship's hull" is prior to the more abstract senses, the modern Italian word probably continues an earlier etymon represented by (alleged) medieval Genoese dialect garibu in the sense "model of a hull," itself ultimately a loan from Arabic qālib "mold, shoemaker's last" (see caliber); details of attestation are thus far incompletely documented, however. An earlier hypothesis connecting garbo (and the related verb garbare "to be becoming to, please") to Germanic *garwjan- "to prepare, make ready" (presumably via Gothic; see gear entry 1, yare) is questionable on semantic and phonetic grounds.

Verb

derivative of garb entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1673, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of garb was in 1600

Rhymes for garb

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Browse Nearby Words

garawi
garb
garbage
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Cite this Entry

“Garb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garb. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

garb

noun
ˈgärb
1
: style of dress
2
: outward form : appearance
garb verb

More from Merriam-Webster on garb

Nglish: Translation of garb for Spanish Speakers

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