headdress

noun

head·​dress ˈhed-ˌdres 

: an often elaborate covering for the head

Illustration of headdress

Synonyms

• cap
• chapeau
• hat
• headgear
• headpiece
• lid [slang]

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

The image, from the 1940s, shows a serious-looking young man wearing an Arab headdress and a suit jacket astride a white horse. —Jane Arraf, NPR, 6 May 2025

Through the Looking Glass (2015) Most on-theme: Rihanna Yes, Sarah Jessica Parker wore what appeared to be a flaming headdress. —Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 5 May 2025

The palm-thatch roofs crowned atop each structure like ceremonial headdresses reflect a tradition rooted in the island’s heritage. —Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

The image depicts Trump — who is not Catholic — seated on an gilded chair, dressed in white papal vestments and headdress, with one finger raised, in a gesture that evokes Christ and other religious figures’ hand symbols in Christian iconography. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 May 2025

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