目出(めだ)し帽(ぼう)

めだしぼう
noun
balaclava; ski mask
clothing
1. balaclava; ski mask
A knitted head covering that exposes only the eyes (and sometimes the mouth), worn for warmth in cold weather or to conceal one's identity. The name literally means 'eye-exposing hat.'
スキーのときは目出(めだ)し帽(ぼう)をかぶる。
I wear a balaclava when skiing.
犯人(はんにん)は目出(めだ)し帽(ぼう)をかぶっていた。
The criminal was wearing a ski mask.
極寒(ごっかん)の地(ち)では目出(めだ)し帽(ぼう)なしでは外(そと)に出(で)られない。
In extremely cold regions, you can't go outside without a balaclava.

The name comes from 目(め) (eyes) + 出(だ)し (exposing) + 帽(ぼう) (hat) — a hat that leaves only the eyes exposed. In news reports, 目出(めだ)し帽(ぼう) is commonly associated with criminals trying to hide their identity, but in everyday life it is standard cold-weather gear for skiing, mountaineering, and working in extreme cold.

Also called バラクラバ (from English "balaclava").

Common collocations

  • 目出(めだ)し帽(ぼう)をかぶる — to wear a balaclava
  • 目出(めだ)し帽(ぼう)を脱(ぬ)ぐ — to take off a balaclava

Related words