plug hat
- noun
- /plʌg hæt/
- Archaic
- The distinguished gentleman wore a plug hat to the evening gala.
Examples
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The plug hats were a fashionable choice in the 19th century.
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He tipped his plug hat politely as he entered the theatre.
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In old photographs, you can often spot men in plug hats and tailcoats.
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He wore a classic plug hat to the wedding.
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He wore a black plug hat to the formal dinner, looking quite distinguished.
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During the performance, the magician's assistant dramatically removed her plug hat to reveal a hidden surprise.
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In the 19th century, gentlemen often paired their suits with a tall plug hat for a polished appearance.
Synonyms
A tall hat with a flat top and straight sides worn with formal clothes
A tall hat with straight sides that people wear with formal clothes in the 1800s
A tall hat with a straight high top once worn by men at formal events
A tall formal hat with a flat top worn by men
A tall round hat for men worn on formal occasions
A tall formal hat for men often covered with silk or fur and worn with a formal suit
A classic formal hat like a top hat worn at weddings and ceremonies
A tall shiny silk hat like a top hat worn in older times
How Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
plug + hat
Although 'hat' is transparent, the element 'plug' here has an archaic/specialized sense referring to a particular style of hat (top hat) that is not the everyday meaning of 'plug' (stopper, to fill). A B1 learner who knows the common senses of the constituents would not be able to predict this historical/lexicalized compound sense, so the expression is opaque.
Etymology
The noun plug hat may come from the hat's shape: its tall, straight top looked like a plug or bottle stopper sitting on the head. That's why the name came to mean a kind of formal 'top hat' worn by men in the 19th century.