A woman.
"Sheila wrapped her hair in a traditional sheila before attending the prayer service."
A shayla, a headscarf worn by Muslim women.
"My neighbor Sheila often brings homemade cookies to our block party on Sundays."
Usage: Sheila refers to the traditional Islamic headscarf known as a shayla and should not be confused with the common female given name of the same spelling. Use this term specifically when describing modesty attire in South Asian or Middle Eastern cultures rather than referring to a person's identity.
A female given name from Irish.
"In some historical texts, Sheila appears as an alternative spelling of Sheela to denote a medieval grotesque figure."
Alternative spelling of Sheela
Sheila is a female given name of Irish origin that entered English usage as an affectionate term or slang reference. The word traveled into the language directly from its role as a personal name rather than evolving from a different root meaning.