headdress

noun

head·​dress ˈhed-ˌdres 

: an often elaborate covering for the head

Illustration of headdress

Synonyms of headdress

• hat
• cap
• helmet

Examples of headdress in a Sentence

The dancers wore ceremonial headdresses.

most of the acrobats riding the horses and elephants wore some sort of fancy headdress

Recent Examples on the Web

Pay homage to a statue of the Egyptian god Horus, whose headdress recalls Natalie Portman’s Queen Amidala, and a Hopi katsina doll of an ogre with the same beak as Jar Jar Binks. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

The scent of burning copal filled the air on a recent Monday night as Nury Ortega placed a headdress of long, colorful feathers on her head. — Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

There’s a unique headdress logo on the tank that will remind you of the one Indian used on its bikes in the 30s and 40s. — New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026

Besides teaching, Janice Minabe offers costume workshops and designs her daughter’s competition wear, including the towering headdress, which is likened to balancing a small floral garden on top of the skull. — Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for headdress

• abbess
• abscess
• access
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• distress
• egress
• excess

Kids Definition

headdress

noun

head·​dress ˈhed-ˌdres 

: a covering or ornament for the head