pith helmet

American  

noun

1. a hat made of dried pith or cork covered with cloth, worn in the tropics.

---

pith helmet British  

noun

1. Also called: topee.   topi.  a lightweight hat made of pith that protects the wearer from the sun

---

Etymology

Origin of pith helmet

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Among her many dancers, I spy a nurse, an astronaut, a UPS delivery guy — even a dude in a pith helmet.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026

Today, such activism seems as passé as a pith helmet.

From Scientific American • Feb. 1, 2021

We will remember her for wearing a white pith helmet to Kenya and for smiling so rarely that shots of her grinning created “Fake Melania” conspiracy theories.

From Slate • Nov. 7, 2020

Alongside, in full khaki battledress and pith helmet, stood William Shakespear.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2015

He wore a pith helmet that had been painted to match the balloon’s bright patchwork of colors and patterns, with a small, brave flag flying on top.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood