Hatlessness

/ˈhætləsnəs/ noun

Definition

The state or quality of being without a hat; the condition of not wearing a hat.

Etymology

Formed from 'hatless' (adjective) with the nominalizing suffix '-ness' (from Old English). This creates an abstract noun describing the state or condition of being hatless.

Kelly Says

Hatlessness seems like a trivial state, but it actually reveals class anxieties: in the early 1900s, women without hats were presumed to be of loose morals, which is why the first women's suffragists made headlines by appearing in public uncovered and defiant.

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