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• bonnet
  bonnet

  noun

  a hat, usually tying under the chin and often framing the face, formerly much worn by women but now worn mostly by children.
• Bonnet
  Bonnet

  noun

  Georges 1889–1973, French statesman.

bonnet

¹ American  

[bon-it] / ˈbɒn ɪt /

noun

• bonnets
  plural

1. a hat, usually tying under the chin and often framing the face, formerly much worn by women but now worn mostly by children.

2. Informal. any hat worn by women.

3. Chiefly Scot. a man's or boy's cap.

4. a bonnetlike headdress.

   an Indian war bonnet.

5. any of various hoods, covers, or protective devices.

6. a cowl, hood, or wind cap for a fireplace or chimney, to stabilize the draft.

7. the part of a valve casing through which the stem passes and that forms a guide and seal for the stem.

8. a chamber at the top of a hot-air furnace from which the leaders emerge.

9. Chiefly British. an automobile hood.

10. Nautical. a supplementary piece of canvas laced to the foot of a fore-and-aft sail, especially a jib, in light winds.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put a bonnet on.

Bonnet ² American  

[baw-ne] / bɔˈnɛ /

noun

1. Georges 1889–1973, French statesman.

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bonnet British  

/ ˈbɒnɪt /

noun

1. any of various hats worn, esp formerly, by women and girls, usually framing the face and tied with ribbons under the chin

2. Also called: bunnet.

   1. a soft cloth cap

   2. formerly, a flat brimless cap worn by men

3. the hinged metal part of a motor vehicle body that provides access to the engine, or to the luggage space in a rear-engined vehicle

4. a cowl on a chimney

5. nautical a piece of sail laced to the foot of a foresail to give it greater area in light winds

6. (in the US and Canada) a headdress of feathers worn by some tribes of American Indians, esp formerly as a sign of war

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Bonnet Scientific  

/ bô-nĕ′ /

1. Swiss naturalist who discovered parthenogenesis when he observed that aphid eggs could develop without fertilization. Bonnet was also one of the first scientists to study photosynthesis.

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bonnet Idioms  

1. see bee in one's bonnet.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bonnetless
  adjective
• bonnetlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bonnets
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of bonnet

1375–1425; late Middle English bonet < Middle French; Old French bonet material from which hats are made, perhaps < Old Low Franconian *bunni something bound (< Germanic *bund-, noun derivative of *bind- bind; cf. bundle), with -et -et; compare Late Latin abonnis, obbonis ribbon forming part of a headdress < Germanic, with a prefix corresponding to Middle High German obe- above

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Explanation

A bonnet is an old-fashioned hat that ties under the chin. Sometimes people dress babies up in frilly clothes and bonnets. A bonnet isn't stiff like many hats are — instead, it's made of soft fabric and has no brim. It was common during the 17th and 18th centuries for women to wear bonnets, to keep their hair tidy and protected from dust and sun when they were outdoors. Today, you're less likely to see a bonnet on a grown woman, unless she's a historical reenactor or acting in a play. The root of bonnet is the Scottish bonat, "brimless hat."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bonnet Bonnet bonnets

Her teachers instantly recognized the pinafore dress and bonnet, but her fellow students didn’t know who she was.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

On one trip, then 6-year-old Bridget won a Laura look-alike contest in a handmade pinafore and bonnet sewn by her grandmother.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

An escaped snake has been rescued after it was spotted on top of a car bonnet in Scarborough.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

He said he saw a "flash of flame" under the bonnet of Rhys Jenkins' Toyota, which then spun, ending up facing back the way it had come.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

Rafik wanted Liyana to sew a bonnet as well, but she thought that might be a little much.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

They both have a condition called Charles Bonnet Syndrome which causes visual hallucinations in people who already have sight loss.

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026

He was the son of married artists Adam Silverman and Louise Bonnet, who are the plaintiffs in the suit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025

Bite into a Maldivian Scotch Bonnet, and you’ll start to feel your tongue get numb, your forehead sweat and your brain crave a glass of milk.

From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2025

"Space agencies no longer want to manage the infrastructure" of the ISS, said Ugo Bonnet, director of the Spaceflight Institute, which offers training for commercial human missions.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025

“Wonderful. I’d like to introduce you to my cohorts this year. This is Mrs. Judith Clawson, Miss Teen Blue Bonnet 1979.”

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

Plenty of bees, plenty of bonnets — though, thankfully for the women, no overlap between the two.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Dance routines with two dancers dressed in red tartan kilts and bonnets accompanied the music.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

Her first observation: “The bonnets look too fancy for the Ingalls family.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

The temperamental little, yellow fruit with its susceptibility to heavy rain and viruses can be tough to grow, while devastating hurricanes in Jamaica, a prime producer of Scotch bonnets, delivered a further blow.

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

She stared at the capable-looking governesses who accompanied these children—women from another world, in capes and starchstringed bonnets who sat sideways on the seat to drive the pony.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

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