A type of rounded or bowler-style hat that was fashionable in the 19th century, with a dome-shaped crown.
British English from around the 1800s; the origin is uncertain but may be from a man named Billy or may relate to the bird 'cock' (rooster), referring to the hat's rounded, cock-like appearance.
The billycock was so iconic in Victorian fashion that it appears in countless photographs and paintings—it's the kind of hat that would have made you instantly recognizable by your social class and profession in 1800s London!
'Billy' hat: 'cock' suggests rooster/male animal, embedding masculine symbolism. Historical naming conventions used animal-male associations as naming markers, marginalizing female presence in fashion and social codification.
Use 'billycock' for historical reference to the hat style. In modern contexts, simply say 'rounded bowler hat' or 'hat style' to remove gendered animal reference.
["rounded bowler hat","billy hat style"]
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