headgear

American  

[hed-geer] / ˈhɛdˌgɪər /

noun

1. any covering for the head, heads, especially a hat, cap, bonnet, etc.

2. a protective covering for the head, heads, as a steel helmet or football helmet.

3. the parts of a harness about the animal's head. heads.

4. Orthodontics Informal. a device worn on the head heads and attached by wires and elastic bands to braces in the mouth, used to create backward tension in the process of repositioning protruding teeth.

5. Mining. a headframe and its machinery.

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headgear British  

/ ˈhɛdˌɡɪə /

noun

1. any head covering, esp a hat

2. any part of a horse's harness that is worn on the head

3. the hoisting mechanism at the pithead of a mine

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Etymology

Origin of headgear

First recorded in 1530–40; head + gear

Example Sentences

For him it’s the coolest headgear, even more so because his dad gave it to him, and it’s something he would wear on an average day, or for a press engagement like this.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

Aisha adjusted her beige veil over her circular-shaped headgear as a matchmaker scrolled through rows of dozens of pictures on a computer to find a man she could be interested in as a potential match.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

For centuries, appearing in public without the proper headgear was a faux pas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

His headgear choice upset many in Canada - a Commonwealth nation- who criticised him for not showing his allegiance to the realm, or to the only Canadian team in Major League Baseball.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

He holds up some sort of metal headgear that I instantly name the head shackle.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• fedora
• helmet