red hat

American

noun

the broad-brimmed official hat of a Roman Catholic cardinal, symbolic of the office or rank of a cardinal.
a cardinal.

red hat British

noun

the broad-brimmed crimson hat given to cardinals as the symbol of their rank and office
the rank and office of a cardinal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of red hat

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Red Hat built a major software firm around open-source Linux code it didn’t own.

From The Wall Street Journal

Paddington politely greeted photographers on his way in, dressed for the weather in his hallmark bright blue coat and red hat.

From BBC

There are no viral clips, no TikTok reactions from red hat superfans and no manufactured outrage that turns into free publicity.

From Salon

Essex said a reacceleration in software growth was encouraging, even as the government shutdown weighed on bookings and growth at Red Hat, the Linux software provider, which IBM acquired in 2019.

From MarketWatch

But several wore a red hat, scarf or shawl, recalling the designer's signature colour.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023