headdress

headdress — noun

1. a decorative item that people wear on their head at cultural ceremonies, traditi

1.nounB2
Definition

a decorative item that people wear on their head at cultural ceremonies, traditional events, or as part of a costume — for example, a crown, a feathered headpiece, or a ceremonial veil

Example

The bride wore a headdress of white feathers and silk flowers at her wedding.

collocation: wear + a headdress

At the festival, dancers wore colourful headdresses that reached down to their shoulders.

plural form for group context

Common collocations
  • wear a headdress
  • ceremonial headdress
  • traditional headdress
  • feathered headdress
  • elaborate headdress
  • decorative headdress
Synonyms
  • headpiece

    broader term that includes small hair accessories; less strongly associated with ceremony

  • crown

    specific to royalty, typically made of metal and jewels; a formal symbol of power

  • tiara

    a small, semi-circular crown worn by women at formal events like weddings or galas

Grammar Patterns

a headdress

headdresses (plural)

Usage Note

Unlike 'hat', which is everyday and practical, 'headdress' is almost always decorative and associated with cultural ceremonies, traditional performances, or formal costumes.

Common Mistakes

She wore a headdress to block the sun.
She wore a sun hat to block the sun.
'Headdress' is decorative or ceremonial; 'hat' is used for practical purposes like sun protection.

Word family

  • head
    nounA1
  • dress
    nounA1
  • dress
    verbA1
  • headgear
    nounB2
  • headpiece
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A headdress is a decorative item worn on the head, usually for ceremonies, traditional events, or performances. A headpiece is the closest general synonym, but it can also refer to small hair accessories or combs worn in everyday life. A crown is a metal headdress worn by royalty, often made of gold and jewels, and it signals power or rank. A tiara is a smaller, semi-circular crown typically worn by women at formal occasions such as weddings or galas. Unlike these, a headdress is often larger, more elaborate, and tied to a specific cultural tradition — it is not everyday wear. A hat, by contrast, is practical headwear for protection from sun or cold, or for everyday fashion. So you might say: 'The chief wore an eagle-feather headdress at the ceremony,' but 'She put on a sun hat before going to the beach.'

headpiececrown ↗tiarahat ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • adorned with a headdress
  • dressed in a headdress

Prepositions

  • with a headdress
  • on a headdress

Etymology

Old FrenchLatinEnglish

Headdress combines 'head' and 'dress' (where 'dress' means 'attire' or 'covering'). First recorded in English in the early 1600s, it originally referred to any covering or decoration worn on the head. The word 'dress' traces back through Old French 'drecier' (to arrange) to Latin 'directus' (straight, arranged).