zucchetto

American  

[zoo-ket-oh, tsook-ket-taw] / zuˈkɛt oʊ, tsukˈkɛt tɔ /

noun

plural

zucchettos,

plural

zucchetti

1. a small, round skullcap worn by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics, a priest's being black, a bishop's violet, a cardinal's red, and the pope's white; calotte.

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zucchetto British  

/ zuː-, suː-, tsuːˈkɛtəʊ /

noun

1. RC Church a small round skullcap worn by certain ecclesiastics and varying in colour according to the rank of the wearer, the Pope wearing white, cardinals red, bishops violet, and others black

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Etymology

Origin of zucchetto

1850–55; < Italian, variant of zucchetta, diminutive of zucca gourd, head, perhaps < pre-Indo-European *tjukka gourd

Example Sentences

Fiennes’ dome may be closely shorn, but his Cardinal packs plenty of blackmail material underneath his zucchetto.

From Salon • Nov. 22, 2024

The boy several times pointed to the pope's white skull cap, known as a zucchetto.

From Reuters • Oct. 20, 2021

He was wearing a pink zucchetto skullcap and an amaranth sash tied around his black cassock.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 14, 2017

His zucchetto skullcap flew off in the wind, perhaps the only unscripted moment in the carefully stage-managed arrival, replete with telegenic young people and a goose-stepping honor guard.

From The Guardian • Sep. 21, 2015

The old man answered promptly:— "The zucchetto, or pileolus, is removed at the end of the last secret prayer, and resumed after the ablutions."

From My New Curate by Sheehan, Patrick Augustine