beaver
3
8.9
- noun
- /ˈbiːvər/
- Archaic
:
sombrero de castor
- In the 19th century, men often wore a beaver when attending formal events.
- a beaver hat
Examples
-
Behind the coachman were a gentleman in a beaver hat and a lady with a fur muff.
Fiction book (1992) -
Rest assured, Canada is not at all like this; very few people in Ontario wear a beaver hat anymore.
Academic text (1999) -
Not so stylish, a beaver hat that looked as if the beaver was still in residence topped my head and kept it super warm.
Fiction book (2002) -
There was a craze on beaver hats in Paris at the time.
-
If you walk towards Cavendish Square, you'll be sure to encounter a stout gentleman dressed in a finely tailored charcoal-gray overcoat complete with a beaver-skin top hat.
Fiction book (1995) -
The luxurious beaver was the preferred choice for aristocrats' hats during the Victorian era.
-
At the costume party, she donned a vintage beaver that perfectly matched her elegant dress.
Synonyms
17
4.3
A tall hat with a flat top and straight sides worn with formal clothes
1
9.3
A tall hat with a straight high top once worn by men at formal events
1
9.6
A tall hat with straight sides that people wear with formal clothes in the 1800s
1
3.9
A tall formal hat with a high crown covered with silk
A hat made from beaver fur often worn in the 18th and 19th centuries
A soft waterproof fur from a large water animal or a hat made from that fur
A tall round hat for men worn on formal occasions
A tall formal hat with a flat top worn by men
A tall formal hat for men often covered with silk or fur and worn with a formal suit
A tall formal hat with a flat top and narrow brim worn by men
A formal men's hat with a tall foldable crown worn to the theatre
A tall shiny silk hat like a top hat worn in older times
Idioms
Compounds
- Informal
3
6.1
A person who is very willing to do extra work and works harder than others
- Australian
A small animal from Australia and New Guinea that lives in water and looks like a beaver
A large rodent active at night that digs burrows in forests on the Pacific coast of North America
A large animal from North America that lives near water, builds dams, and has a wide flat tail
A large water rodent from Europe and western Asia different from the North American beaver
Surface Forms
Etymology
Beaver (the hat) comes from hats made of beaver fur: because the hats were made from that material, a fine formal hat was simply called a 'beaver'.