kufi

K5U1F4I1

noun

A type of brimless, rounded cap associated with various African nations or ethnicities.

OriginArabic كُوفِيَّة ← Swahili kofia ← Yoruba fìlà →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

kufi1

nounkufi (plural kufis)

plural kufis

  1. A type of brimless, rounded cap associated with various African nations or ethnicities.

    Whenever Brown shows up, wearing his African kufi and confronting issues, I find myself nodding vigorously, for old-time’s sake.

    2008 March 2, George Vecsey, “The Primary Season Is Embracing Sports Images”, in New York Times
  2. A type of close-fitting cap worn by some Muslims.

    However, do not assume because the person appears to be conservative (e.g., a woman wearing a head scarf or a man wearing a skull cap or kufi) that the person does not shake hands.

    2009, Nawar Shora, The Arab-American Handbook: A Guide to the Arab, Arab-American & Muslim Worlds, page 82

Kufi2

adjectiveKufi (not comparable)
  1. alternativenot comparableAlternative form of Kufic.

Origin

  1. Yorubafìlà“cap”
  2. Swahilikofia“hat”
  3. Arabicكُوفِيَّة“keffiyeh”
  4. Englishkufi

Probably from Arabic كُوفِيَّة (kūfiyya, “keffiyeh”), perhaps via Swahili kofia (“hat”), though some sources suggest a connection to Yoruba fìlà (“cap”).

More words from Arabic, Swahili, Yoruba

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

kifufuki
Cite this entry
APA

kufi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kufi

MLA

“kufi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kufi. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kufi,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kufi.

Source: kufi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.