Meanings
plural tichels
- A headscarf often worn by married orthodox Jewish women in compliance with the code of modesty known as tzniut, though individuals from other sects of Judaism also wear them depending on personal choice.
She knew that even with the formless skirts extending to her ankles, the billowing blouses with sleeves reaching her wrists, and her hair covered by the tichel, men turned when they passed her on the street.
2003, Jerome Groopman, The Anatomy of Hope, Random House, →ISBN1 more example
The tichel was compared to hijab with suggestions of how Muslim women might adapt it. The contributor ‘mama-star’ was enthusiastic about her discovery, pointing out how the Muslim blogger had talked about her ‘orthodox Jewish sisters’.
2013, Reina Lewis, Modest Fashion: Styling Bodies, Mediating Faith, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN
Origin
- Yiddishטיכל
- Englishtichel
From Yiddish טיכל (tikhl), compare German Tuch (“cloth”).
More words from Yiddish
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
tichel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tichel
“tichel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tichel. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tichel,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tichel.
Source: tichel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.