A broad-brimmed hat, typically made of straw or felt, associated with Mexican culture.
From Spanish 'sombra' meaning 'shade' or 'shadow,' literally making it 'the thing that provides shade.' The word entered English in the 1770s through contact with Spanish colonies in the Americas. Originally, 'sombrero' in Spanish simply meant any hat that cast a shadow, but in English it became specifically associated with the wide-brimmed Mexican style designed for protection from intense sun in agricultural work.
Sombrero literally just means 'shade-maker' in Spanish - it's the most practical name possible for a hat designed to create portable shade in scorching climates. What we call a 'sombrero' would just be called 'a hat' in Spanish-speaking countries.
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