watch cap
1
4.5
- noun
- /wɑtʃ kæp/
:
gorro de lana
- He pulled off his watch cap and ran his hands over his straight black hair.
- wool watch cap
- a black watch cap
- a blue watch cap
Examples
-
While sailing in chilly conditions, the crew made sure to wear their watch caps to stay warm.
-
She chose a dark blue watch cap to match her winter coat as they prepared for the snowy weather.
-
The man wore a watch cap pulled low but not covering his face.
Fiction book (1999) -
He pulled a blue watch cap down over his ears and looked up at the window.
Fiction book (1990) -
Suddenly, I smell shoe polish and see the little "shine" man of my childhood in his navy watch cap and turtleneck sweater.
Fiction book (1996) -
Just then, across the street, Paul spotted a familiar figure: a young man wearing knickerbockers, a heavy coat, a bright red watch cap, and matching mittens.
Fiction book (1993) -
She recalled her discovery years ago that she could walk freely in the city in her old peacoat when she tucked her hair up in a watch cap.
Fiction book (1998) -
A few strokes brought him close to the man, who was dressed in an insulated deer hunter's jumpsuit and wearing an olive drab watch cap pulled down low over his forehead.
Fiction book (2001) -
To keep warm during the winter, he always wears a comfortable wool watch cap when he goes outside.
Synonyms
3
3.6
A tight knitted wool cap that covers the head and ears, often with a point or tassel
1
1.3
A close-fitting wool hat that keeps the head and ears warm
How Warm
Surface Forms
Morphology
watch + cap
The phrase simply names a type of cap associated with a 'watch' (a period of duty or a shipboard shift), so the sense is partially built from 'cap' + 'watch'. However, the duty/nautical sense of 'watch' is less salient for an average B1 learner (who may only know 'watch' as a timepiece or the verb 'to watch'), so the relation is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Watch cap comes from old sailors: when someone stood a watch, a duty shift on the ship, they wore a small wool cap to keep warm. That's why watch cap now means a close-fitting knitted cap people wear in cold weather.