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Showing results for top hat. Search instead for top+hat.
Synonyms

top hat

1 American  

noun

  1. a tall, cylindrical hat with a stiff brim usually slightly curved on the sides, worn by men especially on formal occasions.

top-hat 2 American  
[top-hat] / ˈtɒpˈhæt /

adjective

  1. of or relating to polite or fashionable society.

top hat British  

noun

  1. Also called: high hat.  a man's hat with a tall cylindrical crown and narrow brim, often made of silk, now worn for some formal occasions

"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 top hat1

First recorded in 1800–10

Origin of top-hat2

First recorded in 1890–95; adj. use of top hat

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.

A commercial artist added the top hat, monocle and cane.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 26, 2025

A true rock ’n’ roll persona, the artist was once rarely seen without a drooping cigarette and a top hat, the latter of which could barely contain his face-engulfing curly hair.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2025

Body-worn footage featured Bray, wearing a yellow and blue top hat, repeatedly telling police "you've got the wrong map".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2025

Both Grimace and Uncle O’Grimacey are anthropomorphic characters but unlike his nephew, Uncle O’Grimacey is green in color and sports a top hat.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2025

Eventually the man in the top hat puts his hand on her shoulder and she turns, but slowly, reluctantly.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.