mortarboard

American  

[mawr-ter-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈmɔr tərˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

1. a board, usually square, used by masons to hold mortar.

2. Also called cap. a cap with a close-fitting crown surmounted by a stiff, flat, square piece from which a tassel hangs, worn as part of academic costume.

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mortarboard British  

/ ˈmɔːtəˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a black tasselled academic cap with a flat square top covered with cloth

2. Also called: hawk. a small square board with a handle on the underside for carrying mortar

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Etymology

Origin of mortarboard

First recorded in 1850–55; mortar ² + board

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mortarboard

In a clip on his personal TikTok, Burnham, thanks to clever editing, appears to toss up a mortarboard hat and catch a builder's helmet, as he promotes technical education.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

Trading your mortarboard for a company badge is exciting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

The letter included a 2019 letter from then-Attorney General Mike Hunter that an Indigenous student’s right to wear eagle feathers on their mortarboard is protected under the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act.

From Seattle Times ● May 19, 2022

Jan. 20: Dr. Jill Biden doubles down by wearing a mortarboard to the inauguration.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 7, 2021

After the ceremony, Whitiker’s sister, Michelle, took Ishtar’s yellow mortarboard and said, good-naturedly: “Let me try this on. Which way does it go? They don’t give you these when you get your GED.”

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times