sunhat

sunhat — noun

1. a piece of clothing worn on the head, usually with a wide edge that goes all aro

1.nounA2
Definition

a piece of clothing worn on the head, usually with a wide edge that goes all around, designed to keep the sun off your face, neck, and head

Example

Naoko put on her wide-brimmed sunhat before walking to the beach.

wide-brimmed sunhat — common collocation for describing the shape

Kofi's sunhat kept the strong sun off his face while he worked in the garden.

sunhat + kept the sun off [body part] — describing the hat's function

Common collocations
  • wide-brimmed sunhat
  • straw sunhat
  • wear a sunhat
  • put on your sunhat
  • take off your sunhat
  • a sunhat with a chin strap
Synonyms
  • sun visor

    a smaller item that covers only the front of the head and leaves the top bare

  • wide-brimmed hat

    a general term for any hat with a large brim, not necessarily designed for sun protection

Antonyms
  • beanie

    a close-fitting hat worn for warmth in cold weather

  • woolly hat

    a knitted hat that covers the head for warmth, with no brim for sun shade

Word family

  • sun hats
    nounA2
  • sun-hat
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A sunhat is specifically designed for sun protection and usually has a brim that goes all around the head, shading the face, ears, and neck. A sun visor covers only the front of the head, leaving the top exposed, which is cooler but gives less coverage. A wide-brimmed hat is a broader category that includes fashion and formal hats that may not be practical in direct sunlight — for example, a felt wide-brimmed fedora offers little UV protection. A boater is a stiff straw hat with a flat top and narrow brim, traditionally worn for boating events, not for serious sun protection. In everyday speech, if you say 'grab your sunhat', people picture a practical hat for a hot, sunny day outdoors.

sun visorwide-brimmed hatboater

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Sunhat is a compound word formed in English from sun (from Old English sunne, tracing back to Proto-Germanic *sunnōn) and hat (from Old English hæt, from Proto-Germanic *hattuz). The word came into common use in the late 1800s, when wide-brimmed hats were worn regularly in tropical regions for protection against the sun.