hard hat

noun

for sense 1 usually

ˈhärd-ˈhat 

for senses 1b and 2

ˈhärd-ˌhat 

1

a

: a protective hat made of rigid material (such as metal or fiberglass) and worn especially by construction workers

b

: a construction worker

2

: a conservative who is intolerant of opposing views

Examples of hard hat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

During tours of the mine, which are narrated by retired miners; visitors wear hard hats and headlamps and ride a train into the mine, just as miners did to get to work. —Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 15 Oct. 2024

Hammer gets to don a hard hat and go into the cathedral, scheduled to reopen to the public this December, to view the results of five years of painstaking work. —Longreads, 11 Oct. 2024

As other examples, tax exemptions will apply to hard hats that cost $100 or less; work boots that cost $175 or less; ladders that cost $250 or less; and power tools and vehicle tool boxes that cost $300 or less. —Jim Turner, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2024

One day earlier this month, workers in white hard hats bustled around the I-beams supporting the house and ducked under basement rafters that had been in place for almost 300 years. —Michael E. Ruane The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 20 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

hard hat

noun

1

: a protective helmet worn especially by construction workers

2

: a construction worker