yarmulka

1 9.9

A small round cap that religious Jewish men wear during prayer as a sign of respect

noun
/ˈjɑrməlkə/

: yarmulke

And Bessie imagines the woman walking down a long staircase that curves and ends here in the entrance hall where a young man sits at a one-armed desk, reading, head bent, a blue velvet yarmulka perched on his crown.

Examples

Many Jewish men wear a yarmulka while praying to show their reverence for God.
At once, his father popped up from the chair and clomped to the bedroom, on his way undressing; he was, before shutting the door in their faces, down to yarmulka and truss.

Academic text (2007)
One week—ho-boy!—a Shapiro Wine Haggadah; another week, a nice white-on-white Sporty Morty type yarmulka.

Academic text (2007)
He wore a yarmulka during the synagogue service as a sign of respect.
During their wedding ceremony, the groom placed a yarmulka on his head to honor Jewish customs.

Synonyms

yarmulke

vsyarmulka

13 9.0

A small round cap that Jewish men wear on their head, often during prayer

is identical in meaning but uses the other spelling form

yarmelke

vsyarmulka

9.9

A small round cap that Jewish men wear during prayer or religious events

is identical in meaning but appears with the alternate spelling

Surface Forms

yarmulka singular

yarmulkas plural

Etymology

Yarmulka comes from Yiddish and the Polish word jarmułka, both meaning 'skullcap', and it is the same idea as the Hebrew kippah. So a yarmulka is a small round 'cap' worn to show 'respect' during prayer.