top hat
noun
1.
a tall, cylindrical hat with a stiff brim usually slightly curved on the sides, worn by men especially on formal occasions.
Compare
beaver
1
(def 4),
opera hat
,
silk hat
.
Origin
1800-10
top-hat
[
top
-
hat
]
/ˈtɒpˈhæt/
adjective
1.
of or pertaining to polite or fashionable society.
Origin
1890-95;
adj. use of
top hat
Examples from the web for
top hat
Forget about choosing between the
top hat
and the thimble.
His head is crowned with a
top hat
, his face graying and sick with nerves.
He seemed to have stepped from a hansom cab, missing only a
top hat
.
British Dictionary definitions for
top hat
top hat
noun
1.
a man's hat with a tall cylindrical crown and narrow brim, often made of silk, now worn for some formal occasions
Also called
high hat
Word Origin and History for
top hat
top-hat
n.
also
tophat
, 1875, from
top
(n.1) +
hat
.