bonnet

1 of 2

noun

bon·​net ˈbä-nət 

1

a(1)

chiefly Scotland : a man's or boy's cap

(2)

: a brimless Scottish cap of seamless woolen fabric compare tam o' shanter sense 2

b

: a cloth or straw hat tied under the chin and worn by women and children

2

a

British : an automobile hood

b

: a metal covering or cowl (as for a fireplace, valve chamber, or ventilator)

bonnet

2 of 2

verb

bonneted; bonneting; bonnets

transitive verb

: to provide with or dress in a bonnet

Examples of bonnet in a Sentence

Noun

He lifted the car's bonnet to check the engine.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Standing next to him in the indoor baptismal was Iran Dean, also in a white gown and wearing a white bonnet to cover his dreadlocks. —Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025

One of the downsides of wearing a silk bonnet or satin bonnet is that sometimes indentations or red lines can appear on the forehead where the elastic band or tie was during the night. —Jamie Wilson, Glamour, 30 May 2025

Verb

Endangered Florida bonneted bats soar through the open night skies. —Elise Bennett, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2025

The land was valuable to two endangered species, Florida bonneted bats and the Miami tiger beetle. —Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bonet auxiliary sail, kind of cap, from Anglo-French, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old Saxon gibund bundle, Old English bindan to bind

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1619, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bonnet

• bee in one's bonnet
• have a bee in one's bonnet
• Scotch bonnet

Rhymes for bonnet

• sonnet
• propionate

Kids Definition

bonnet

noun

bon·​net

ˈbän-ət

1

: a child's or woman's hat tied under the chin by ribbons or strings

2

: a soft woolen cap worn in Scotland

Biographical Definition

Bonnet

biographical name

Bon·​net bȯ-ˈnā 

Georges-Étienne 1889–1973 French politician and diplomat