zucchetto

[ zoo-ket-oh; Italian tsook-ket-taw ]

noun

, plural zuc·chet·tos, Italian zuc·chet·ti [tsook-, ket, -tee].

1. a small, round skullcap worn by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics, a priest's being black, a bishop's violet, a cardinal's red, and the pope's white; calotte.

zucchetto

/ zuː-; suː-; tsuːˈkɛtəʊ /

noun

1. RC Church a small round skullcap worn by certain ecclesiastics and varying in colour according to the rank of the wearer, the Pope wearing white, cardinals red, bishops violet, and others black

Word History and Origins

Origin of zucchetto¹

1850–55; < Italian, variant of zucchetta, diminutive of zucca gourd, head, perhaps < pre-Indo-European *tjukka gourd

Word History and Origins

Origin of zucchetto¹

C19: from Italian, from zucca a gourd, head, from Late Latin cucutia gourd, probably from Latin cucurbita

Example Sentences

The zucchetto, or pileolus, is removed at the end of the last secret prayer, and resumed after the ablutions.

From Project Gutenberg

Some one asked whether it was lawful for any one, not a bishop, to wear a zucchetto during the celebration of Mass.

From Project Gutenberg