Panama hat

American  

noun

1. a hat made of finely plaited young leaves of the jipijapa, a palmlike plant of Central and South America.

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Panama hat British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: panama.   Panama.  (sometimes not capital) a hat made of the plaited leaves of the jipijapa plant of Central and South America

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Etymology

Origin of Panama hat

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Himself a distinct figure, with his Panama hat, mustached grin and ubiquitous cigar, Brito first spotted Valenzuela when he was pitching for Guanajuato in 1978.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2024

At home, Tamariz trades his usual Panama hat for a brimless cap, giving him the aura of an ancient mystic.

From New York Times • Jan. 2, 2023

Impeccably dressed in a jacket, crisp shirt and tie, he often wore a Panama hat to accent the outfit.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 6, 2022

Mr. Westergaard remained defiant in his public appearances in Aarhus, always flamboyantly dressed in bright yellow or red jackets and pants, colorful scarves and usually with a Panama hat or French beret.

From Washington Post • Jul. 20, 2021

A kindly, educated old man with a big white Panama hat who worried mostly about his digestion, my grandfather entertained no political ambitions.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez