Meaning & use
moretta
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablerare
A small round black hat worn by women in Venice in the 1600s, often over a veil.
Grammar: Countable: say 'a moretta' for one hat and 'morettas' for several.
Patterns
- wear a moretta
- a black moretta
Portraits from seventeenth-century Venice often show a noblewoman in a small dark moretta.
The moretta was usually plain black and sat close to the head over a light veil.
In the museum display, a moretta is shown beside the heavier veils of the same period.
nouncountablerare
A dark round cap of similar shape worn by some clergy or scholars in later periods.
Grammar: Countable; usually appears with 'a' or in the plural 'morettas'.
Patterns
- a clerical moretta
- wear a moretta
A few church records mention a moretta among the garments left by a priest.
The old college rules required a plain moretta at formal ceremonies.
Word forms
| plural | morettas |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a moretta
- Women in the painting wear a moretta over their hair.
- a black moretta
- She is shown in profile wearing a black moretta.
- a small moretta
- The small moretta sat neatly on top of her veil.
- a velvet moretta
- A velvet moretta was considered suitable for winter.
- the moretta of Venice
- The moretta of Venice appears in many costume books.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: moretta or Moretti?
moretta vs Moretti
Moretti is an Italian surname and a brand name; 'moretta' is a different word and means the historical hat.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'moretta' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Moretta' is a countable noun for a historical hat, so it fits as the subject of a sentence about clothing. The other options wrongly use it as a verb or as something that cannot be a hat.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “moretta”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.