toupée

IPA/ˈtuː.peɪ/
IPA/tuːˈpeɪ/

toupée — noun

  • toupéesingular
  • toupéesplural

1. a small hairpiece, usually for men, that hides a bald area on the top or front o

1.nounB2
Definition

a small hairpiece, usually for men, that hides a bald area on the top or front of the head

Example

Jack adjusted his toupée before the wedding photos began.

collocation: adjust a toupée

Arjun's toupée lifted in the wind as he crossed the street.

typical problem: a toupée can lift in wind

Common collocations
  • wear a toupée
  • adjust a toupée
  • remove a toupée
  • natural-looking toupée
  • cover a bald spot
Synonyms
  • hairpiece

    broader term that can refer to several kinds of false hair, not only a partial cover

  • wig

    covers the whole head rather than just one bald area

  • hair system

    modern salon term, often used for a natural-looking partial covering

Grammar Patterns

a [adj] toupée

wear + toupée

adjust + toupée

Usage Note

A toupée usually covers only the top or front of the head rather than the whole scalp. If the false hair covers the entire head, English normally uses wig instead.

Common Mistakes

He wore a toupée that covered his whole head.
He wore a wig that covered his whole head.
A toupée hides a small bald area, while a wig covers the full scalp.
He bought hair extensions to hide his bald spot.
He bought a toupée to hide his bald spot.
Extensions add hair length or volume, but a toupée covers missing hair.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all refer to false hair, but they differ in size and purpose. A toupée is a small covering for a bald area, usually on the top or front of the head, and it is often associated with men. A wig covers the whole head, so it is the right word when someone wants a complete change of appearance or has little hair showing underneath. Hairpiece is the broadest term and can mean a toupée or another attached section of false hair. Hair system is a newer, softer term often used by salons or advertisers for a natural-looking partial cover. For example, someone might wear a toupée for thinning hair but use a wig for a stage costume.

toupée ↗wig ↗hairpiece ↗hair system

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

The word comes from French toupet, which meant a tuft or crest of hair. In English it developed the specialized meaning of a small piece of false hair used to cover thinning or missing hair on part of the scalp.

First known use

1728

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 2