tam hat

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   A round, flat-topped woolen cap with a pompom or bobble on top, traditionally worn in Scotland.

   Grammar: Countable noun: you can say 'a tam hat' or 'two tam hats'.

   Patterns

   • wear a tam hat
   • a tam hat with a bobble

   He wore a green tam hat to the Highland games.

   She knitted a tam hat with a red pompom for her grandson.

   The old photograph shows my grandfather in a tam hat and kilt.

Word forms

Common combinations

wear a tam hat

Many Scottish dancers wear a tam hat as part of their costume.

a tam hat with a bobble

He bought a tam hat with a bobble at the Edinburgh festival.

traditional tam hat

The museum displayed a traditional tam hat from the 19th century.

Synonyms and how they differ

tam

A short form of 'tam hat', used informally in Scotland and northern England.

tam-o'-shanter

The full, literary name for the same hat, often used in historical or formal contexts.

beret

A soft, round cap without a bobble, originally from France; not the same as a tam hat.

Word family

tam noun

Informal shortening of 'tam hat'.

tam-o'-shanter noun

The full name of the hat, often used in Scottish literature.

Commonly confused: tam hat or beret?

Practice

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