bonnet

noun bon·net \ ˈbä-nət \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

Examples: bonnet in a Sentence

Definition of bonnet

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 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)

See bonnet defined for English-language learners

See bonnet defined for kids

Examples of bonnet in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of bonnet from the Web

Learn the lingo, old chap: Hood = bonnet, trunk = boot, windshield = windscreen. Sorted.

— luann gibbs, Cincinnati.com, "Top 5 events in Cincinnati this weekend," 6 July 2018
Pinecraft, where the bonnets are lacy and the pies are creamy.

— vincent crampton, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Explore Florida's Sarasota County: Say bye bye, Ohio for pie pie, Pinecraft," 6 May 2018
The newborn prince looked snug and sleepy wearing a knit white bonnet during his debut on Monday, April 23, just like his big sister on the day of her birth.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "The Royal Baby’s Bonnet Has a Special Connection to Princess Charlotte," 25 Apr. 2018
The vehicle drove for about 10 meters along the pavement, bowling over pedestrians, with some of them being carried along on the bonnet of the car.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Taxi plows into Moscow crowd including soccer fans, injuring eight," 16 June 2018
An unframed, Impressionistic oil painting of an orange-bonnet-wearing woman hangs on the wall, along with a tumble of cake molds strung together like a giant charm bracelet.

— elyse inamine, Bon Appetit, "The Mysterious World of Burrow, a Japanese Bakery Hiding In an Office Lobby," 13 June 2018
Yet another fashioned a bow tie for her fiance, Casey Walko, 30, made from baby bonnets.

— allison klein, Washington Post, "She was in labor. From her hospital bed, she married a couple also having a baby.," 24 May 2018
The solution is a slot or air extractor through the hood (bonnet) that passes air up and accelerates it over the windscreen.

— jim resnick, Ars Technica, "“Change like we’ve not seen in decades”—high-end auto designers go electric," 2 June 2018
On The Handmaid’s Tale, Elisabeth Moss gives a rebellious smirk under her bonnet.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "Female Rage on Television Reaches a Boiling Point in Dietland," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bonnet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bonnet

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year