toupee

[ too-pey ]

noun

1. a man's wig.
2. a patch of false hair for covering a bald spot.
3. (formerly) a curl or an artificial lock of hair on the top of the head, especially as a crowning feature of a periwig.

toupee

/ ˈtuːpeɪ /

noun

1. a wig or hairpiece worn, esp by men, to cover a bald or balding place
2. (formerly) a prominent lock on a periwig, esp in the 18th century

Word History and Origins

Origin of toupee¹

1720–30; variant of toupet < French, equivalent to Old French to ( u ) p tuft (< Germanic; top ¹ ) + -et -et

Word History and Origins

Origin of toupee¹

C18: apparently from French toupet forelock, from Old French toup top, of Germanic origin; see top ¹

Example Sentences

The foreign secretary once called Mr Trump a “neo-Nazi sociopath” and “a tyrant in a toupee” but has since distanced themselves from those comments after he was appointed to Sir Keir Starmer's front bench.

From BBC

I didn’t see a horse until 1984 when I got to work the Derby as a reporter for the first time and witnessed the wind carrying Howard Cosell’s toupee aloft.

From Salon

She smiled and stared at him as he dug his thick teeth into the late-autumn grass, a black toupee sliding forward off the top of his head.

From Seattle Times

It said teams were finding new blockages each day caused by unsuitable items, but having to root out troublesome toupees from drains was a "new one for us".

From BBC

The only healthy-looking aspect of his appearance is his “mink-like” toupee, which he shares with his brother, switching off month by month.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• hairpiece