hard hat

¹

noun

1. a protective helmet of metal or plastic, especially as worn by construction or factory workers.

2. a uniformed soldier of a regular army, as opposed to a guerrilla.

hard-hat

²

Or hard·hat

[hahrd-hat]

noun

Informal.

1. a construction worker, especially a member of a construction workers' union.

2. a working-class conservative.

adjective

1. pertaining to or characteristic of hard-hats.

   enlisting hard-hat support for his policies.

hard hat

noun

1. a hat made of a hard material for protection, worn esp by construction workers, equestrians, etc

2. informal,  a construction worker

adjective

1. informal,  characteristic of the presumed conservative attitudes and prejudices typified by construction workers

Word History and Origins

Origin of hard hat¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Origin of hard hat²

First recorded in 1960–65

Idioms and Phrases

A working-class ultraconservative. For example, They were counting on a large number of votes from the hard hats. This term alludes to the rigid protective headgear worn by construction workers, who were noted for their conservatism during the tumultuous 1960s. [c. 1960]

Related Words

• helmet