mortarboard

[ mawr-ter-bawrd, -bohrd ]

noun

1. a board, usually square, used by masons to hold mortar.
2. Also called cap. a cap with a close-fitting crown surmounted by a stiff, flat, square piece from which a tassel hangs, worn as part of academic costume.

mortarboard

/ ˈmɔːtəˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a black tasselled academic cap with a flat square top covered with cloth
2. Also calledhawk a small square board with a handle on the underside for carrying mortar

Word History and Origins

Origin of mortarboard¹

First recorded in 1850–55; mortar ² + board