top hat

noun

Synonyms of top hatnext
: a tall-crowned hat usually of beaver or silk

Examples of top hat in a Sentence

He wore a top hat and tails.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Summer dresses, hats, top hats, and tails were the order of the day as the congregation entered the pretty village church, which is equidistant from Gatcombe Park—Princess Anne's Gloucestershire estate where Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall grew up—and the Sperling family home in South Cerney. Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 6 June 2026 Summer dresses, hats, top hats and tails were the order of the day as the congregation entered the pretty village church, which is equidistant from Gatcombe Park—Princess Anne's Gloucestershire estate where Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall grew up—and the Sperling family home in South Cerney. Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Glamour, 6 June 2026 Royal Ascot has a strict dress code, including top hats for men heading to the Royal Enclosure, where the British royals watch the races. Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026 More to Explore Many of the human props—canes, top hats, desks—used in primate taxidermy became unfashionable in the first half of the nineteenth century, but there were still throwbacks. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for top hat

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of top hat was in 1864

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Top hat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top%20hat. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

top hat

noun
: a man's hat with a tall crown

More from Merriam-Webster on top hat

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster