toupee

American  

[too-pey] / tuˈpeɪ /

noun

1. a man's wig.

2. a patch of false hair for covering a bald spot.

3. (formerly) a curl or an artificial lock of hair on the top of the head, especially as a crowning feature of a periwig.

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toupee British  

/ ˈtuːpeɪ /

noun

1. a wig or hairpiece worn, esp by men, to cover a bald or balding place

2. (formerly) a prominent lock on a periwig, esp in the 18th century

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Etymology

Origin of toupee

1720–30; variant of toupet < French, equivalent to Old French to ( u ) p tuft (< Germanic; top ¹ ) + -et -et

Explanation

A toupee is a partial wig, made to cover a bald patch. You'll have to be careful when you're wearing your toupee on a windy day! It's easy to joke about toupees, since they often seem to quite obviously be covering up bald spots — especially if the toupee is a slightly different color from the remainder of the wearer's real hair. The noun toupee comes from the French word toupet, "tuft of hair." Originally, a toupee was a decorative tuft of fake hair that was worn for the style, rather than to cover up baldness.

Example Sentences

A less risky head adjustment — the remarkable return of the toupee.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

Boxer Fabio Wardley posted "don't worry I'll keep it safe" with a video of the toupee on the seat beside him, while Skye Nicolson, external also posed with it on her head.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

I didn’t see a horse until 1984 when I got to work the Derby as a reporter for the first time and witnessed the wind carrying Howard Cosell’s toupee aloft.

From Salon • May 4, 2024

She smiled and stared at him as he dug his thick teeth into the late-autumn grass, a black toupee sliding forward off the top of his head.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 19, 2023

Andy’s toupee flew off his head; it sailed into the distance.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Related Words

• hairpiece