milliner

American  

[mil-uh-ner] / ˈmɪl ə nər /

noun

1. a person who designs, makes, or sells hats for women.

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milliner British  

/ ˈmɪlɪnə /

noun

1. a person who makes or sells women's hats

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Etymology

Origin of milliner

First recorded in 1520–30; variant of obsolete Milaner “native of Milan, dealer in goods from Milan” ( Milan was formerly accented on the first syllable); -er ¹

Explanation

A milliner is someone who designs or makes hats, especially women’s hats. Milliners usually sell hats too. The noun milliner is a somewhat outdated word for a hat maker — it refers to someone whose business is to design, make, decorate, or sell hats. You might go to a milliner before your trip to South America, to buy a large-brimmed sun hat. The earliest meaning of the word milliner, from the fifteenth century, was "vendor of fancy wares, especially those made in Milan," though by the eighteenth century it meant "one who sells women's hats."

Example Sentences

Other second-hand pieces featured in the exhibition include an Alexon coat bought from a charity shop for EastEnders character Dot Cotton and a leopard-print hat by famous milliner Otto Lucas, purchased from eBay.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2024

His father cut men’s suits in Manhattan’s garment district; his mother was a milliner.

From New York Times • Jan. 21, 2024

The event has appointed an official milliner, or hatmaker, every year since 2018.

From Seattle Times • May 6, 2023

Ms. Quant, who had apprenticed as a milliner, initially worked as the store’s buyer, setting the inventory while her colleagues focused on the business side.

From Washington Post • Apr. 13, 2023

Often as I dared to, I’d tell Miss Mattie Lou, ‘Set a place for the milliner at Sunday dinner, hear. She’s kind a-homesick.’

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns