Bonnet

An Irish caubeen

Bonnet refers to several types of headwear, worn by both males and females, and usually distinguished by being brimless. In contemporary usage, it is most frequently applied to the simple headcovering worn by infants, although in Britain it remains in general use also to describe several types of headwear of ethnic origins. Many bonnets are often referred to as caps, although true caps are differentiated by their having a peak or narrow brim. In the vernacular, it is used in many areas of Britain to describe any form of headgear.

The Border Reivers of the Anglo-Scottish borders during the sixteenth century were sometimes known as 'Steel Bonnets' for the helmets they wore, and the term was used as the title of a history of the reivers by George Macdonald Fraser.

Types of bonnet

• Baby bonnet
• Balmoral bonnet
• Beanie
• Beret
• Caubeen
• Dutch cap
• Easter bonnet
• Feather bonnet
• French hood
• Glengarry
• Kilmarnock bonnet
• Matron's badge
• Prayer bonnet
• Tam
• Tam O'Shanter
• Tudor bonnet

Other uses

The name Scotch Bonnet is also used to describe

• a type of chili pepper, known for its extreme heat
• the "Fairy Ring" mushroom Marasmius oreades
• a species of sea snail Semicassis granulata granulata found in the Atlantic Ocean