liberty cap

noun

1. a soft, conical cap given to a freed slave in ancient Rome at manumission of his servitude, used as a symbol of liberty, especially since the 18th century.

liberty cap

noun

1. a cap of soft felt worn as a symbol of liberty, esp during the French Revolution, from the practice in ancient Rome of giving a freed slave such a cap
2. a poisonous hallucinogenic basidiomycetous fungus, Psilocybe semilanceata, yellowish-brown with a distinctive pointed cap, found in groups in grassland

Word History and Origins

Origin of liberty cap¹

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

At a point a few hundred feet lower on the mountain-side there is a peak known as Liberty Cap.

From Project Gutenberg

Peak Success and Liberty Cap are the only two promontories that give trustworthy indication of its former height and strength.

From Project Gutenberg

A huge cirque extending up toward Liberty Cap on the western side of the mountain.

From Project Gutenberg

With a bursting heart, he snatched off his liberty-cap, threw it in the air, and cried: "Vive la République!"

From Project Gutenberg

A few days after, he was arrayed in a little coat and trousers of the Revolutionary red, and a bright red liberty-cap.

From Project Gutenberg