tarboosh

American  

[tahr-boosh] / tɑrˈbuʃ /

Or tarbush

noun

1. a tasseled cap of cloth or felt, usually red, that is worn by Muslim men either by itself or as the inner part of the turban.

---

tarboosh British  

/ tɑːˈbuːʃ /

noun

1. a felt or cloth brimless cap resembling the fez, usually red and often with a silk tassel, worn alone or as part of a turban by Muslim men

---

Etymology

Origin of tarboosh

1695–1705; < Arabic ṭarbūsh < Ottoman Turkish terposh, probably < Persian sarposh headdress (equivalent to sar head + pūsh covering), by association with Turkish ter sweat

Explanation

You can use the word tarboosh when you talk about a flat-topped, red hat with a tassel on top, although people are more likely to know what you mean if you call it a "fez" instead. A tarboosh is a Turkish type of hat, typically made of red felt. A more common name for a tarboosh is fez, though the two words can be used interchangeably. In the United States, it's not unusual to see members of the Shriners organization riding tiny cars in parades, and they almost always wear tarbooshes on their heads. The word comes from the Arabic ṭarbūš, which is rooted in the Persian word for "head covering," sarpūš.

Example Sentences

Wearing peaked black headdresses and long robes, a procession of Armenian priests is led along the stone streets of Jerusalem's Old City by two suited men in felt tarboosh hats with ceremonial walking sticks.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2023

In the black-and-white picture, he sits imperiously in a galabiya, a cane in one hand and a tarboosh on his head.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 25, 2016

Gen. Mohammed Massoud, a senior rebel military commander normally only seen in green fatigues, arrived wrapped in a white tribal blanket, sporting a red tarboosh.

From Newsweek • Mar. 13, 2011

As the French ship poked its bow into the Gulf of Tunis, a small, dark-eyed man in red tarboosh and grey business suit stared at the distant mountains and sobbed nervously.

From Time Magazine Archive

His headdress was a scarlet, close-fitting cap, not unlike the Egyptian "tarboosh".

From The Wireless Officer by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)