Definition of biretta
: a square cap with three ridges on top worn by clergymen especially of the Roman Catholic Church
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Recent Examples of biretta from the Web
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The deeply revered priest was a tall man with a long Old World beard and a biretta cap perched on his head.
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Tip o' the biretta to David Weinberger, Paul Boutin, James R. Giusti, and Paul McFedries.
These 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.
Illustration of biretta
Origin and Etymology of biretta
Italian berretta, from Old Occitan berret cap, from Medieval Latin birretum, from Late Latin birrus cloak with a hood, perhaps of Celt origin; akin to Middle Irish berr short
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See words that rhyme with biretta Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about biretta
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