fedora

IPA/fɪˈdɔːrə/
KK[fɪdˈɔrə]IPA/fɪˈdɔːrə/

fedora — noun

  • fedorasingular
  • fedorasplural

1. a soft felt hat whose crown has a dent running down the middle and whose brim is

1.nounB1
Definition

a soft felt hat whose crown has a dent running down the middle and whose brim is fairly wide, often bent upward at the back

Example

Grandpa wore a grey fedora to the wedding and looked very smart.

The detective adjusted his brown fedora before stepping out of the car.

collocation: adjust [one's] fedora

Common collocations
  • grey fedora
  • brown fedora
  • black fedora
  • felt fedora
  • wear a fedora
  • put on a fedora
  • take off a fedora
  • adjust a fedora
Synonyms
  • trilby

    similar shape but with a narrower brim that is usually turned up at the back only

  • homburg

    a stiff felt hat with a dented crown and a curled brim, considered more formal than a fedora

  • panama hat

    made of woven straw rather than felt, with a lighter and more summery style

Usage Note

Often used in fiction (especially detective stories and film noir) to suggest a classic or old-fashioned masculine style. The brim of a fedora is noticeably wider than that of a trilby hat.

Common Mistakes

He wore a trilby with a wide brim to the party.
He wore a fedora with a wide brim to the party.
A trilby has a much narrower brim that turns up at the back, while a fedora has a wider brim all around.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Fedora, trilby, homburg, panama hat, and bowler all describe types of men's hats, but they differ in material, brim width, and formality. A fedora has a medium-to-wide brim and a soft, dented crown — it is the most versatile, fitting both casual and semi-formal occasions. A trilby looks similar but has a much narrower brim that is sharply turned up at the back. A homburg is stiffer and more formal, with a curled brim and a rigid dent. A panama hat is made of straw rather than felt, making it lighter and better for hot weather. A bowler has a hard, rounded crown and a tightly curled brim, giving it a very different silhouette entirely. If you saw a 1940s detective in a film, he would almost certainly wear a fedora, not a trilby or a bowler.

trilby ↗homburg ↗panama hatbowler ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • brim of a fedora
  • crown of a fedora
  • fedora hat

Prepositions

  • in a fedora (e.g., He looked sharp in a grey fedora.)
  • with a fedora (e.g., a man with a dark fedora)

Etymology

GreekFrench (theatre)English

The word fedora comes from the title of an 1882 play, 'Fédora' by French playwright Victorien Sardou. The main character, Princess Fédora, wore a soft felt hat with a creased crown, and the hat style became popular under that name. The name 'Fédora' itself is derived from the Greek name 'Theodora' (θεός 'god' + δῶρον 'gift').