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pith helmet

American

noun

a hat made of dried pith or cork covered with cloth, worn in the tropics.

pith helmet British

noun

Also called: topee. topi. a lightweight hat made of pith that protects the wearer from the sun

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pith helmet

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Among her many dancers, I spy a nurse, an astronaut, a UPS delivery guy — even a dude in a pith helmet.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026

The worst in this category was the pith helmet she wore in Kenya, on the same 2018 tour that included her Egypt moment, as well as several other appearances in olive drab and safari gear.

From Slate • Feb. 2, 2021

Today, such activism seems as passé as a pith helmet.

From Scientific American • Feb. 1, 2021

Alongside, in full khaki battledress and pith helmet, stood William Shakespear.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2015

He adjusted his pith helmet, and the children followed suit.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023