barret

See also: Barret

English

Etymology

From French barrette, Late Latin barretum (“a cap”), from birrus (“hooded cape”). See berretta, and compare biretta.

Noun

barret (plural barrets)

1. (historical) A kind of fitted cap worn by medieval soldiers.
   • 1832, Walter Scott, Count Robert of Paris, page 206:

     His head was surmounted with a barret cap, while his hands, limbs, and feet were covered with garments of chamois leather, over which he in general wore the ponderoous and complete armour of his country.

   • 1845, Roger de Flor (fict.name.), The fortunes of Roger de Flor: or, The Almugavars, page 27:

     For arms they wore upon the head a barret cap of steel net-work, instead of a casque; and their weapons were a sword and pike, a little shorter than what is this day used by the companies of arquebusiers; in addition to which many of them carried three or four darts for casting with the hand.

   • 1848 August 12, Edwin F. Roberts, “Sir Bevis of Lea”, in Reynolds's Miscellany, volume 1, number 5, page 77:

     The large cross-handled sword of the warrior was leaning against the side, and on the ground lay his shield, axe, and portions of his armour' and there was a crucifix and beads, —while on a tall spear was flung a barret-cap, and the golden spurs and chains were suspended overhead.

   • 1857, Cassell's Illustrated History of England:, page 370:

     Philip was dressed simply in black velvet, having a barret-cap of the same, with small chains of gold.

2. (historical) A floppy beret-like cap worn by musketeers.
   • 1878, Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers, page 1:

     the maxillary muscles enormously developed, an infallible sign by which a Gascon may always be detected, even without his barret-cap — and our young man wore a barret-cap, set off with a sort of feather; the eye open and intelligent; the nose hooked, but finely chiselled.

   • 1972, David Nash, The Prussian Army, 1808-1815, page 85:

     The Volunteer Jäger Detachments wore the Musketeer's uniform, often with a 'Barret' . This beret was a large floppy field cap, coloured black.

3. The flat cap worn by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics; a biretta.
   • 1889, John McClintock, ‎James Strong, Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, page 613:

     The priestly leader wears the chasuble and stole, and often the pluvial besides; his head is covered with a barret.

   • 1910, The Encyclopaedia Britannica, page 980:

     The "cap of maintenance" or "cap of estate," still borne before the British sovereign on state occasions, is a barret-cap of the type of the 14th and 15th centuries; it is of crimson velvet, turned up with ermine.

Anagrams

• Barter, Traber, barter

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Old Catalan barret, ultimately from Late Latin birrus. Compare French béret (“Basque cap”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [bəˈrɛt]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [bəˈrət]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [baˈret]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

barret m (plural barrets)

1. hat

   Synonym: capell

Derived terms

• barreta
• barreter
• barretera
• barretet
• barretina

Further reading

• “barret” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “barret” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “barret”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025

Swedish

Noun

barret

1. definite singular of barr