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Synonyms

headdress

American  
[hed-dres] / ˈhɛdˌdrɛs /

noun

  1. a covering or decoration for the head: heads.

    a tribal headdress of feathers.

  2. a style or manner of arranging the hair.

headdress British  
/ ˈhɛdˌdrɛs /

noun

  1. any head covering, esp an ornate one or one denoting a rank or occupation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of headdress

First recorded in 1695–1705; head + dress

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.

Mathieu Deldicque, director of the Conde Museum, where the headdress will go on display, said the find was a "true miracle", stressing that all of its parts were well preserved.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Some post photos of themselves in traditional Saudi dress: for men a thobe and headdress, for women an abaya and headscarf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

"We don't want a consultation. We want this decree revoked," Indigenous leader Gilson Tupinamba, wearing a large headdress of blue and orange feathers, told a meeting with government representatives on Wednesday.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

“We always wanted to see el penacho de Moctezuma,” said Gema Vargas, referring to the feathered headdress widely attributed to the legendary Aztec emperor.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

He turned away from the window and his gaze fell upon another peculiar object standing upon the cluttered, curved sideboard: a stone bust of a beautiful but austere-looking witch wearing a most bizarre-looking headdress.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

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.