visor

American  

[vahy-zer] / ˈvaɪ zər /

Or vizor

noun

• visors
  plural

1. Armor.

   1. (on a close helmet) a piece having slits or holes for vision, situated above and pivoted with a beaver or a ventail and beaver.

   2. a similar piece of plate having holes or slits for vision and breathing, attached to or used with any of various other helmets, as the armet, sallet, basinet, or helm.

2. the projecting front brim of a cap.

3. a rigid adjustable flap on an automobile windshield that can shield the eyes of a driver from direct sunlight or glare.

4. a means of concealment; disguise.

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verb (used with object)

1. to protect or mask with a visor; shield.

visor British  

/ ˈvaɪzə /

noun

1. a transparent flap on a helmet that can be pulled down to protect the face

2. a piece of armour fixed or hinged to the helmet to protect the face and with slits for the eyes

3. another name for peak

4. a small movable screen used as protection against glare from the sun, esp one attached above the windscreen of a motor vehicle

5. archaic a mask or any other means of disguise or concealment

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verb

1. (tr) to cover, provide, or protect with a visor; shield

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unvisored
  adjective
• visored
  adjective
• visorless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• visors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of visor

1250–1300; Middle English viser < Anglo-French (compare Old French visiere ), equivalent to vis face ( see visage) + -er -er ²

Explanation

A visor is part of the front of a helmet that can usually be raised or lowered. Visors shade your eyes from the sun. The brim of a hat keeps the sun out of your eyes, but the visor of a helmet does an even better job. The visor actually covers your eyes, much like sunglasses. Many motorcycle helmets have a visor, and so do some police helmets and football helmets. As with sunglasses, the visor restricts your vision in some ways, so it's the kind of thing you would only want to use if the sun is blinding.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

visor visors

Better to grab one of those syrupy $23 Deuces, a $44 visor, old pal Matt Futterman’s new tennis treatise and stake out the practice courts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Canyon is presenting a helmet fitted with a large visor capable of displaying real-time alerts or receiving an audio signal, depending on the user's preference.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

But the full force of energy bursting from Cyclops' visor should obliterate those cobwebs.

From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026

The difference this year is that all those elements were provided by one 50-year-old man in a white visor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025

The visor scanned my retinas and the system prompted me to speak my new pass phrase: “Reindeer Flotilla Setec Astronomy.”

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Norris pipped Russell by 0.102 seconds as raindrops began to appear on the drivers' visors.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Teachers Cecile Hansen and Peter Helmkamp, who had traveled from Miami, Florida to attend the "Great American State Fair" recommended fans, sunblock, visors, and dipping into air conditioned cafes every 20 minutes.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Many donned “Baywatch” visors and sweaters while others sported bright red bathing suits, popularized by the original show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026

Walsh expects discussions with players and the league office to continue, much as they did with visors and, decades earlier, helmets.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

They were both wearing tan flight suits and helmets with tinted visors.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein