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

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

At one point Pantani was forced to angrily shove a fan in a headdress who gets too close. — Duncan Alexander, New York Times, 24 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