tam-o'-shanter

American  

[tam-uh-shan-ter, tam-uh-shan-ter] / ˈtæm əˌʃæn tər, ˌtæm əˈʃæn tɛr /

noun

1. a cap of Scottish origin, usually made of wool, having a round, flat top that projects all around the head and has a pompon at its center.

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tam-o'-shanter British  

/ ˌtæməˈʃæntə /

noun

1. Also called: tam.   tammy.  a Scottish brimless wool cap with a bobble in the centre, usually worn pulled down at one side

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Etymology

Origin of tam-o'-shanter

First recorded in 1880–85; named after the hero of Tam O'Shanter (1791), poem by Robert Burns

Example Sentences

You know the one: Mary Richards, smiling brightly amid the herd gathered at a crowded Minneapolis intersection, suddenly whirls and flings her tam-o’-shanter into the air.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026

Dressed in mismatched plaids, including a dumpy yellow tam-o’-shanter — a notable contrast to Carol’s compact and deep-hued pillbox hats — Therese can look elfin and childlike.

From New York Times • Nov. 19, 2015

They’re like a series of Monty Python skits, with Rembrandt playing all the parts: metrosexual masher with puffy Titian sleeves; nerdy accountant hoarding his receipts; saber-wielding pooh-bah with a tam-o’-shanter crown.

From New York Times • Feb. 18, 2011

Always flamboyant and highly visible, he showed a gift for symbolism, appeared in a bright blue-and-red tam-o'-shanter, sometimes wore leis of flowers for press conferences, regularly delivered quotable and often provocative comments.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ransacking his trunk, Ralph found a tam-o’-shanter; socks; booties; a pen-and-pencil set; a hairbrush, hand mirror, and comb.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen