Afghan
noun
a native or inhabitant of Afghanistan.
Afghan
American
[af-gan, -guhn]
/ ˈæf gæn, -gən /
noun
-
Afghans
plural
-
a native or inhabitant of Afghanistan.
-
afghan, a soft woolen blanket, crocheted or knitted, usually in a geometric pattern.
-
Also called Afghan hound. one of a breed of swift hunting hounds having a long, narrow head and a long, silky coat.
-
Literary. Pashto.
adjective
Afghan
1
British
/ ˈæfɡæn, -ɡən, -ˈɡɑː- /
noun
-
a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Afghanistan
-
another name for Pashto
-
history an Indian camel driver employed in the outback of Australia
adjective
afghan
2
British
/ ˈæfɡæn, -ɡən /
noun
-
a knitted or crocheted wool blanket or shawl, esp one with a geometric pattern
-
a sheepskin coat, often embroidered and having long fur trimming around the edges
Usage
See afghani.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of Afghan
First recorded in 1740–50; from Persian afghān “inhabitant of the Hindu Kush; a Pathan“
Explanation
An afghan is a knitted or crocheted blanket. You might spend Friday night curled up on the couch under an afghan watching old movies on TV. Many afghans are made from individual crocheted squares — called "granny squares" — stitched together into one big, multicolored blanket. Other afghans are striped or composed of large blocks of color. The connection of the name afghan with the people or country of Afghanistan is unclear, though some crochet and knitting fans believe that the original afghans, first made in the 1800s, were influenced by multi-colored blankets from that country.
Vocabulary lists containing afghan
English Words Derived from Arabic
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When the U.S. finished pulling out of Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, it imperiled the lives of every Afghan who had helped, including the Institute of Peace’s local staff and their families.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
"Since 2021, Afghan women have been banned from playing sport, and girls remain barred from education beyond the age of 11," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Among the hopeful "misfits", as their school-friend Frank Kearns called them, were Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton – who arrived wearing a full-length Afghan coat.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Giustozzi said multiple countries have been putting pressure on the Afghan government, which has been making an effort to "restrain" the TTP.
From Barron's
“The owner of the Afghan restaurant near here donates meals to welcome new families. Let’s go there,” Salma Auntie agrees.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
Valley College, her crocheted afghan flying like a kite.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2024
Since September, Minnesota has welcomed 721 afghan evacuees according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
From Fox News ● Jan. 20, 2022
I wrote early on in that essay, trying to conjure the first moment I ever saw one as an infant — my parent's afghan hound, Easy.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2021
There was Peggy Foster, 82, an afghan over her shoulders, Ralph Lucas, 84, the only man in the group, and Jean Rose, 96, who kept surprising herself with the success of her rolls.
From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2021
I covered her with the old knitted afghan and walked down to see Mr. Greene.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
The council deplored the suffering of Afghans and voiced deep concern about deeply entrenched impunity in the country.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
News organizations, nonprofits and veterans scrambled to evacuate the Afghans who had helped them over the course of America’s longest war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East absorb international attention, and Europe's burning issue is how to stop so many Afghans fleeing towards their shores.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
But many Afghans still keep pushing and praying for a different future – and hope the world won't forget them.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Every home has a poet and every home has a musician because words and music give Afghans life.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
