beret
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of beret
1820–30; < French < Gascon berret, OPr. ber ( r ) et. See biretta
Explanation
A beret is a round, soft hat. Berets were first made in 17th-century France, and they're still commonly associated with that country. If you enjoy French culture, you might don a beret while eating baguettes with brie. We can trace the origin of beret back to the Late Latin birrus, "large, hooded cloak," and since the word itself is French, the t is silent — beret rhymes with tray. From the time they were invented, berets have been casual, fashionable caps most often made of wool or felt. The armies of several countries, including Italy and the U.S. Special Forces, also wear berets as part of their uniform.
Vocabulary lists containing beret
Put a Lid On It: Hats, Hoods, and Other Headgear
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English Words Derived from French, List 7
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A Good Kind of Trouble
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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.
Indeed he was, as evident by the jaunty white beret he’d worn for the occasion, which quickly went viral on social media.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
“The thing I’ll miss most from home is my mom’s stuffing, it’s my favorite,” said Clayton Stock-Friends, a young member of the West Virginia National Guard from Harpers Ferry, sporting a red beret and sunglasses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025
Sliwa -- once a night manager of a McDonald's restaurant in New York -- made his name with the Guardian Angels subway patrol group, which still sees him routinely sport a red beret.
From Barron's • Nov. 2, 2025
It was Wonder, shuffling out from the wings wearing his signature shades and beret to join his old friend for — well, for what?
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2025
He had stopped a man wearing a beret and asked for a cigarette, but the man had threatened to have him arrested.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
