hat

The word “hat” means a covering worn on the head, often with a brim. In plain terms, a piece of clothing for the head — or, figuratively, one of several roles someone juggles.

“Hat” is pronounced hat (/hæt/ in IPA).

Here is “hat” used in a sentence: “She wore a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off her face.”

Depending on how it is used, “hat” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “hat” comes from Old English. From Old English hætt, going back to a very old Germanic word for headgear, related to words in Norse, Frisian, and Scandinavian languages.

“Hat” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Hat” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a covering worn on the head, often with a brim.

A cap is really a type of hat, so all caps are hats but not all hats are caps. A cap is typically soft and close-fitting with a peak at the front and no full brim, like a baseball cap. "Hat" is the broader term and often implies a brim running all the way around.

There are countless styles. Common ones include the baseball cap, beanie, fedora, trilby, panama, bowler, top hat, flat cap, sun hat, and beret. Some are worn for warmth, such as woolly hats; others for sun protection, formality, sport, or fashion. Many are named after their shape, material, or place of origin.

People wear hats for practical and social reasons alike. A hat can shield the head from sun, rain, or cold, protect against injury in the case of hard hats, or signal a job or rank, as with a chef's or police officer's hat. Many are also worn purely as fashion or personal style.