Meaning & use
dunce hat
A cone-shaped paper hat historically placed on a student's head as punishment for poor performance.
See it in a sentence
In old cartoons, a student might be shown wearing a dunce hat in the corner.
The teacher's use of a dunce hat would be considered unacceptable in modern classrooms.
A note on using this word
Now mostly a historical or symbolic reference; the practice is considered outdated and humiliating by modern educational standards.
Words with a similar meaning
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