Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

thinking cap

noun

Definition of thinking cap

: a state or mood in which one thinks —usually used in the phrase put one's thinking cap on

See thinking cap defined for English-language learners

See thinking cap defined for kids

First Known Use of thinking cap

1827

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

THINKING CAP Defined for English Language Learners

thinking cap

noun

Definition of thinking cap for English Language Learners

  • —used to refer to the act of trying to solve a problem by thinking carefully about it

Learn More about thinking cap

  1. See words that rhyme with thinking cap

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up thinking cap? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

festinate

play

to hasten

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. exculpatory 'tending or serving to exculpate'

  2. ideologue 'an often blindly partisan advocate or adherent of a particular ideology'

  3. socialism 'a way of organizing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government'

  4. uphold 'to let stand'

  5. due process 'a course of formal proceedings (as judicial proceedings)'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

thinking cap

Test Your Vocabulary

Test Your Emoji Exceptionalism

  • test-your-emoji-exceptionalism-written-with-a-lot-of-emoji
  • What is this emoji intended to represent: 🤳
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games