beanie
Americannoun
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beanies
plural
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a close-fitting knit cap worn in cold weather.
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a small cap, brimless or with a short bill, often brightly colored, constructed of triangular pieces of cloth joined at the top by a button and popularized in the early 20th century as worn by college freshmen.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of beanie
Compare meaning
How does beanie compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A beanie is a small, round, brimless hat. It was fashionable for boys to wear beanies in the first half of the 20th century. Traditionally, a beanie was a flat, close-fitting hat without a brim, sometimes also called a skullcap. In the early 1900s, adult workers and young men commonly wore beanies, which eventually evolved into today's baseball cap. The hat was probably named beanie after the bean-sized, cloth-covered button in the center of the cap. In the UK, a beanie is simply a knitted stocking cap.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The first driver is described as white with a short dark beard and he was wearing a beanie hat, while the second is believed to have been wearing a cap.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Sporting black sunglasses and a trademark beanie, the 27-year-old identifies as a queer artist, highlighting the need for expression and acceptance throughout his music.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
As we’re talking to Ogwumike, Sania Feagin slips by in a multicolored knit beanie, smile unmissable, holding a bouquet of Mother’s Day flowers from one of the league’s social media managers.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
Good has become a genuine martyr, inspiring people and making them realize that they can make a significant contribution with the power of a camera phone and a red beanie cap.
From Salon ● Jan. 14, 2026
Probably real tall with big crusty hands, a rough beard, a beanie on his head or one of them old-men hats with the kangaroo on the back.
From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds
He loved hats, fedoras at first but then black fisherman beanies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
I followed a small group of South Asian aunties in industrial-grade puffers and bright yellow “Zohran” campaign beanies, which smartly functioned equally as political statements and survival gear.
From Slate ● Jan. 3, 2026
Trouser suits were donned with sequins, while glittery beanies and diamond-encrusted clutch bags were also a highlight.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2025
Many wore head coverings, including beanies, hoodies, hijabs and keffiyehs, and some had tape over their mouths to represent what they call Tabassum’s unjust silencing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2024
They wear their little beanies and call each other “brother.”
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
