beret

IPA/ˈbereɪ/
KK[bˈɛrət]IPA/bəˈreɪ/

beret — noun

  • beretsingular
  • beretsplural

1. a type of soft hat that is round and flat on top, usually made from wool or felt

1.nounB1
Definition

a type of soft hat that is round and flat on top, usually made from wool or felt, often worn at a slant on the head — traditionally associated with France, artists, and certain military uniforms.

Example

Anong bought a red beret at a market stall in Paris last summer.

colour adjective + beret (red beret)

The old painter wore a black beret while working on his self-portrait.

collocation: wear a beret

Common collocations
  • red / black / green / blue beret
  • wool / felt beret
  • wear a beret
  • put on / take off a beret
  • tilt a beret
Synonyms
  • cap

    a much broader term for any small, close-fitting hat — can include berets but also baseball caps and pillbox hats

  • tam

    a Scottish version of the beret, usually larger and with a pom-pom on top

Grammar Patterns

a/the + beret

beret + colour/material adjective

Usage Note

Countable noun. A beret is a specific style of hat — do not use beret as a general term for any soft cap.

Common Mistakes

She wore a red baret to the party.
She wore a red beret to the party.
The spelling is 'beret', not 'baret'.
He put his beret on in winter to stay warm.' (when meaning a knitted beanie)
He put his beanie on in winter to stay warm.
Berets are made of felt or wool fabric and lie flat; beanies are knitted, close-fitting caps.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Beret, cap, beanie, and hat are all things you wear on your head, but they differ in shape and style. A beret is soft, round, and flat on top — it has no brim and is often worn tilted. A cap usually has a peak or visor at the front (like a baseball cap) and a more fitted crown. A beanie is a knitted, close-fitting cap that covers the ears and is worn in cold weather. Hat is the broadest category, covering everything from fedoras to sun hats to formal top hats. For example: 'He took off his wool beret and hung it on the easel.' 'She pulled a warm beanie over her ears before going out in the snow.'

cap ↗beanie ↗hat ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • beret-wearing

Prepositions

  • in a beret
  • with a beret

Etymology

Late LatinOccitanFrenchEnglish

The word beret comes from French 'béret', which traces back through Occitan 'berret' to Late Latin 'birrus' meaning 'hooded cloak'. The hat style became especially popular in the Basque region of France and Spain before spreading worldwide.

First known use

1826

1826, in the meaning defined above