top hat

¹ American  

noun

1. a tall, cylindrical hat with a stiff brim usually slightly curved on the sides, worn by men especially on formal occasions.

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top-hat ² American  

[top-hat] / ˈtɒpˈhæt /

adjective

1. of or relating to polite or fashionable society.

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top hat British  

noun

1. Also called: high hat.  a man's hat with a tall cylindrical crown and narrow brim, often made of silk, now worn for some formal occasions

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Etymology

Origin of top hat¹

First recorded in 1800–10

Origin of top-hat²

First recorded in 1890–95; adj. use of top hat

Example Sentences

My eyes picked Karel immediately from the crowd in front of the church, dressed in top hat and tails as were all the male guests, but incomparably the handsomest there.

From Literature

He stood over us, twelve feet tall in spangled top hat and stilts.

From Literature

Then Lily pulls out a complicated game involving a frog that eats worms, burps bubbles, and—for reasons I cannot comprehend—wears a top hat.

From Literature

Marco walked up as Chase was staring at a painting of a man holding a whip, dressed in a red coat, white pants, knee-high black boots, and a black top hat.

From Literature

Other counterprotesters mockingly impersonated billionaires by donning crowns or top hats.

From Los Angeles Times