Also called: flat cap. a flat woollen cap with a stiff peak
informal
a symbol of working-class ethos or origin
( as modifier )
cloth-cap attitudes
First recorded in 1850–55
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In contrast, Wilson - often anchored by his ever-present pipe and Gannex coat - was famed for a pragmatic, utilitarian wardrobe that defined the "cloth-cap" socialism of the 1960s and 70s.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
The incident gave rise to the description of his brand of politics as "cloth-cap socialism".
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2014
And even in the cloth-cap era, behaviour was not beyond reproach.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 12, 2012
No politician is more aware of this possibility than Wilson, who has sought with considerable success to shake Labor's cloth-cap image and move into the middle ground.
From Time Magazine Archive
At once his cloth-cap was exchanged for the black helmet, and, in a few seconds, the escape was flying along the streets, pushed by the willing hands of policemen and passers-by.
From Personal Reminiscences in Book Making and Some Short Stories by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)
Kelly, a small man who plays in a cloth cap, looks like Spanky McFarland in an old “Our Gang” comedy.
From Golf Digest ● Apr. 16, 2020
He only reluctantly wore the required helmet, always white, saying he preferred a cloth cap.
From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2020
Wearing an ill-fitting suit, his cloth cap askew, the 1950s film star was the epitome of the little man defeating the odds.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2013
With his distinctive cloth cap or beret, he looked like Angus Young, and with his screaming delivery, he sounded like Axl Rose.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 20, 2012
Sitting on the large stone that marked this spot was a thin, white-haired man in a cloth cap, smoking his pipe.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
