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Synonyms

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.

top-hat 2 American  
[top-hat] / ˈtɒpˈhæt /

adjective

  1. of or relating to polite or fashionable society.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A commercial artist added the top hat, monocle and cane.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 26, 2025

Body-worn footage featured Bray, wearing a yellow and blue top hat, repeatedly telling police "you've got the wrong map".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2025

Anderson - who was born in 1814 in Aberdeenshire's Kincardine O'Neil area - is thought to have been among the first magicians to pull a live rabbit out of a top hat.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2025

Both Grimace and Uncle O’Grimacey are anthropomorphic characters but unlike his nephew, Uncle O’Grimacey is green in color and sports a top hat.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2025

Ella's name glimmered in big, bold letters as an image of her father tipping his top hat played like a tiny hologram right before their eyes.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.