FromFrenchbarrette,Late Latinbarretum(“a cap”), frombirrus(“hooded cape”). Seeberretta, and comparebiretta.
barret (pluralbarrets)
- (historical) A kind offittedcap worn bymedievalsoldiers.
1832, Walter Scott,Count Robert of Paris, page206:His head was surmounted with abarret cap, while his hands, limbs, and feet were covered with garments of chamois leather, over which he in general wore the ponderoous and complete armour of his country.
1845, Roger de Flor (fict.name.),The fortunes of Roger de Flor: or, The Almugavars, page27:For arms they wore upon the head abarret cap of steel net-work, instead of a casque; and their weapons were a sword and pike, a little shorter than what is this day used by the companies of arquebusiers; in addition to which many of them carried three or four darts for casting with the hand.
1848 August 12, Edwin F. Roberts, “Sir Bevis of Lea”, inReynolds's Miscellany, volume 1, number 5, page77:The large cross-handled sword of the warrior was leaning against the side, and on the ground lay his shield, axe, and portions of his armour' and there was a crucifix and beads, —while on a tall spear was flung abarret-cap, and the golden spurs and chains were suspended overhead.
1857,Cassell's Illustrated History of England:, page370:Philip was dressed simply in black velvet, having abarret-cap of the same, with small chains of gold.
- (historical) Afloppyberet-like cap worn bymusketeers.
1878, Alexandre Dumas,The Three Musketeers, page 1:the maxillary muscles enormously developed, an infallible sign by which a Gascon may always be detected, even without hisbarret-cap — and our young man wore abarret-cap, set off with a sort of feather; the eye open and intelligent; the nose hooked, but finely chiselled.
1972, David Nash,The Prussian Army, 1808-1815, page85:The Volunteer Jäger Detachments wore the Musketeer's uniform, often with a 'Barret' . This beret was a large floppy field cap, coloured black.
- The flat cap worn byRoman Catholicecclesiastics; abiretta.
1889, John McClintock, James Strong,Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, page613:The priestly leader wears the chasuble and stole, and often the pluvial besides; his head is covered with abarret.
1910,The Encyclopaedia Britannica, page980:The "cap of maintenance" or "cap of estate," still borne before the British sovereign on state occasions, is abarret-cap of the type of the 14th and 15th centuries; it is of crimson velvet, turned up with ermine.
Inherited fromOld Catalanbarret, ultimately fromLate Latinbirrus. CompareFrenchbéret(“Basque cap”).
barret m (pluralbarrets)
- hat
- Synonym:capell
barret
- definitesingular ofbarr
