cocked hat

noun

1. a man's hat, worn especially in the 18th century, having a wide, stiff brim turned up on two or three sides toward a peaked crown. Compare bicorne, tricorn ( def 2 ).

cocked hat

noun

1. a hat with opposing brims turned up and caught together in order to give two points (bicorn) or three points (tricorn)
2. knock into a cocked hat slang.
   to outdo or defeat

Word History and Origins

Origin of cocked hat¹

First recorded in 1665–75; cock ² + -ed ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. knock into a cocked hat, Informal. to destroy completely; render unachievable.