topee

or to·pi

[ toh-pee, toh-pee ]

noun

1. (in India) a lightweight helmet or sun hat made from the pith of the sola plant.

topee

/ -pɪ; ˈtəʊpiː /

noun

1. another name for pith helmet

Word History and Origins

Origin of topee¹

First recorded in 1825–35, topee is from the Hindi word ṭopī hat

Word History and Origins

Origin of topee¹

C19: from Hindi topī hat

Example Sentences

He had on a white topee, and was accompanied by three or four men dressed like him in shorts.

From Literature

Completing the ensemble was that unmistakable symbol of imperialism, the pith helmet or solar topee.

From Wall Street Journal

Among hundreds of men wearing turbans and topees at Karachi’s main train station, Muhammad Arshad stood out in his blue baseball cap with Rotary’s bright yellow gearwheel.

From New York Times

Elizabeth’s favorite haunt is the British Club, where the men wear khaki shorts and topee hats and berate the Burmese servants for running low on ice for their tumblers of whiskey and gin.

From New York Times

The midges or sand flies were very troublesome the whole way and came in hundreds round one's head, got inside one's topee, and were thoroughly objectionable.

From Project Gutenberg