dunce cap

noun

: a conical cap formerly used as a punishment for slow learners at school

called also dunce's cap

Examples of dunce cap in a Sentence

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.
Go sit in the dunce corner and put the dunce cap on. Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 25 Dec. 2024 The counterrevolutionaries were forced to confess their crimes; Red Guards placed tall white-paper dunce caps on their heads and heavy wooden plaques around their necks, listing their names and their misdeeds. Weijian Shan, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1791, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dunce cap was circa 1791

Dictionary Entries Near dunce cap

Cite this Entry

“Dunce cap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dunce%20cap. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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