VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

toque

noun·Advanced

Last updated

UK/təʊk/
US/toʊk/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A tall, white, pleated hat worn by chefs.

    Grammar: Often the full phrase toque blanche.

    Patterns

    • wear a toque

    The head chef wore a tall white toque.

    He pulled his toque low and went back to the stove.

    A toque shows a cook's rank in some kitchens.

  2. nouncountableCanadian

    A close-fitting knitted winter hat, in Canadian English.

    Grammar: Pronounced like took; in the US it is a beanie.

    Patterns

    • wear a toque

    Put on your toque, it's freezing out there.

    She knitted a red toque for her brother.

    The hockey fans wore matching toques.

  3. nouncountableold-fashioned

    A small, brimless hat worn by women in the past.

    Grammar: A historical and rare use.

    The queen wore a velvet toque.

    A jeweled toque sat on her curls.

    Museums display toques from the 1500s.

Word forms

pluraltoques

Common combinations

chef's toque
The chef's toque was spotless.
knitted toque
A knitted toque kept him warm.
wool toque
He lost his wool toque on the ice.
toque blanche
The toque blanche is the classic cook's hat.
pull on a toque
She pulled on a toque and went out.

Synonyms and how they differ

beanie
Beanie is the US and UK word for a knitted hat, whereas toque is Canadian.
chef's hat
Chef's hat is the plain phrase for the tall kitchen hat.
cap
Cap is broader and often has a brim.
woolly hat
Woolly hat is the British phrase for a knitted winter hat.

Word family

toques noun
the plural
toque blanche noun
the white chef's hat
tuque noun
a Canadian spelling variant for the knitted hat

Commonly confused: toque or toke? toque or torque?

toque vs toke

Toke is slang for a puff on a cigarette, and has nothing to do with hats.

toque vs torque

Torque is a twisting force, not a hat.

Practice

In Canada, what do you wear on your head in cold weather?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “toque”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words