silk hat

American  

noun

1. a tall, cylindrical, black hat covered with silk plush, worn by men for formal dress.

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silk hat British  

noun

1. a man's top hat covered with silk

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Other Word Forms

• silk-hatted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of silk hat

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

He began trimming his Hamburg whiskers in Lord Dundreary style; he wore spike-toed patent-leather shoes, striped shirt fronts, a silk hat, and carried himself with a Beau Brummel air.

From Slate • Mar. 22, 2018

He sported a walrus mustache, a high French silk hat, an expensive suit and a thick black ribbon for his pince-nez eyeglasses.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2016

The image of the southern dandy with his silk hat and seersucker suit satisfied a populist imagination that viewed effete southern slave-owners with disdain.

From The Guardian • Jun. 22, 2014

After several days, the reporter Albert Breer melts into a BlackBerry-scented puddle but reconstitutes and shouts “Happy Birthday!” when his fellow reporter Jason La Canfora places a silk hat on his head.

From New York Times • Dec. 31, 2011

The driver Dori Dilson wears a tailed white tuxedo and tall silk hat, but it is her passenger who rivets the crowd.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli