opera hat

American  

noun

1. a man's tall, collapsible top hat, held open or in shape by springs and usually covered with a black, silky fabric.

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opera hat British  

noun

1. Also called: gibus. a collapsible top hat operated by a spring

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Etymology

Origin of opera hat

First recorded in 1800–10

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

opera hat

"I know some members may feel that they look particularly fetching in the opera hat, but it really does make the House of Commons look ridiculous," she told MPs.

From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2015

The father's opera hat was put in the cornerstone and ten stained glass windows commemorated the operas he produced.

From Time Magazine Archive

In one corner a huge shadow, bulking formless against the wall, suggested the packing case behind which his opera hat had been tossed by Mayer during the search the night before.

From The Ivory Snuff Box by Frederic Arnold Kummer

Kenyon got in first, with his long cigarette holder between his teeth and a rakish-looking opera hat balanced over his left eye.

From The Sins of the Children A Novel by Cosmo Hamilton

In a moment the detective had stepped to the large box in the corner, behind which lay, he believed, the discarded opera hat.

From The Ivory Snuff Box by Frederic Arnold Kummer

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