hard hat

¹

noun

1. a protective helmet of metal or plastic, especially as worn by construction or factory workers.
2. a uniformed soldier of a regular army, as opposed to a guerrilla.

hard-hat

²

or hard·hat

[ hahrd-hat ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a construction worker, especially a member of a construction workers' union.
2. a working-class conservative.

adjective

1. pertaining to or characteristic of hard-hats:

   enlisting hard-hat support for his policies.

hard hat

noun

1. a hat made of a hard material for protection, worn esp by construction workers, equestrians, etc
2. informal.
   a construction worker

adjective

1. informal.
   characteristic of the presumed conservative attitudes and prejudices typified by construction workers

Word History and Origins

Origin of hard hat¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Origin of hard hat²

First recorded in 1960–65

Idioms and Phrases

A working-class ultraconservative. For example, They were counting on a large number of votes from the hard hats . This term alludes to the rigid protective headgear worn by construction workers, who were noted for their conservatism during the tumultuous 1960s. [c. 1960]

Example Sentences

At a media preview of the new station on Wednesday morning, work was still going on inside and outside the station by workers in hard hats and hi-vis vests.

From BBC

A few minutes later, after a phone call or two, Grout told his crews to “wrap it up,” and soon the men in hard hats and their shiny white trucks were gone.

From Los Angeles Times

Work crews in hard hats are finishing a temporary beach volleyball stadium and the grandstands around a plaza where athletes will receive their medals each night.

From Los Angeles Times

Also inside the suspects’ car, officers found several jewelry boxes, along with a construction hard hat and a vest, which could be used to get near a home without drawing attention, police said.

From Los Angeles Times

He made an early-morning visit to a construction site in Midtown Manhattan, shaking hands with union members wearing hard hats and safety goggles.

From New York Times

Related Words

• helmet