bonnet

1 of 2

noun

bon·​net ˈbä-nət 

1

a(1)

chiefly Scotland : a man's or boy's cap

(2)

: a brimless Scottish cap of seamless woolen fabric compare tam o' shanter sense 2

b

: a cloth or straw hat tied under the chin and worn by women and children

2

a

British : an automobile hood

b

: a metal covering or cowl (as for a fireplace, valve chamber, or ventilator)

bonnet

2 of 2

verb

bonneted; bonneting; bonnets

transitive verb

: to provide with or dress in a bonnet

Examples of bonnet in a Sentence

Noun

He lifted the car's bonnet to check the engine.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But the same bees do buzz around her bonnet, over and over. —Sloane Crosley, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024

Police say she was last seen wearing a hospital gown, a pink bonnet, orange jogging pants and rainbow Crocs sandals. —Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024

Verb

They are silhouetted in a forest, bonneted, wind-blown and sun-kissed. —The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023

Down Under mystery up in the air and its blond-bonneted, Renoir-ish women lost among the venomous snakes, poisonous ants and whatever dreadful fate might befall one in feral Australia. —John Anderson, WSJ, 24 May 2018

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bonet auxiliary sail, kind of cap, from Anglo-French, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old Saxon gibund bundle, Old English bindan to bind

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1619, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bonnet

• bee in one's bonnet
• have a bee in one's bonnet
• Scotch bonnet

Kids Definition

bonnet

noun

bon·​net

ˈbän-ət

1

: a child's or woman's hat tied under the chin by ribbons or strings

2

: a soft woolen cap worn in Scotland

Biographical Definition

Bonnet

biographical name

Bon·​net bȯ-ˈnā 

Georges-Étienne 1889–1973 French politician and diplomat