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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

tam-o'-shanter

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

Under a soft, woolly tam-o'-shanter, San Francisco State College's stopgap president, S. I. Hayakawa, proved every whit as hardheaded as the cops in riot helmets whom he called to quell turmoil on his campus.

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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---