SINCE 1828
biretta
noun
bi·ret·ta
| \ bə-ˈre-tə
\
\
Definition of biretta
: a square cap with three ridges on top worn by clergymen especially of the Roman Catholic Church
Illustration of biretta
Examples of biretta in a Sentence
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Among those receiving the cardinals’ biretta — a crimson-red square cap with three ridges — was his point man for helping Rome’s homeless and poor. — Washington Post, "Pope to 14 new cardinals: Defend the dignity of the poor," 28 June 2018 Other looks in the show included a teal cargo jumpsuit with a matching miter, an oversized polo dress topped with a red velvet cardinal’s biretta, and a high-necked white dress that evoked an adult-size christening gown. — New York Times, "Meet the Young Designers Making Catholic-Inspired Fashion," 9 May 2018 The deeply revered priest was a tall man with a long Old World beard and a biretta cap perched on his head. — Joni Sternbach, Smithsonian, "A Pittsburgh Church Holds the Greatest Collection of Relics Outside of the Vatican," 29 July 2017 Tip o' the biretta to David Weinberger, Paul Boutin, James R. Giusti, and Paul McFedries. — Wired Staff, WIRED, "Jargon Watch," 1 Nov. 2000 The deeply revered priest was a tall man with a long Old World beard and a biretta cap perched on his head. — Joni Sternbach, Smithsonian, "A Pittsburgh Church Holds the Greatest Collection of Relics Outside of the Vatican," 30 June 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'biretta.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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