dunce cap

American  

Or dunce's cap

noun

1. a tall, cone-shaped hat formerly worn by slow or lazy students as a punishment in school.

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dunce cap British  

noun

1. a conical paper hat, formerly placed on the head of a dull child at school

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Etymology

Origin of dunce cap

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

If you do think that he could, please step forward and claim your complimentary dunce cap, and infuse it with your own naivete.

From Salon • May 5, 2023

Come December, the predictor will either be wearing a dunce cap or a genius cap.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2021

If Lamont lets this deteriorate further, he may find he’s wearing the dunce cap in the corner for letting his prized project fall apart.

From Washington Times • Sep. 25, 2020

Xi’s father was purged, and Xi was sent to the countryside, forced to dig trenches and wear a metal dunce cap.

From Washington Post • Sep. 28, 2019

Sammy plopped the dunce cap on top of his jockey cap.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan