dunce cap

Or dunce's cap

noun

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

dunce cap

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dunce cap¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

It’s about as academically relevant to today’s students as Sadie Hawkins Day, and as necessary as a dunce cap.

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

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Ironically, she was punished in school for not being able to keep quiet and put in a corner with a dunce cap on her head.

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Bush was drawn sitting on a stool wearing a dunce cap and a stupid expression, and the headline asked: “The Worst President in History?”

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But dunce caps aside, the irony is that Xi’s critique of Big Tech is similar to recent debates in the United States.

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