Definition

1. Noun:
   • A hat characterized by a wide brim and a soft, often creased or pinched crown, traditionally worn by cattle herders (cowboys) in the American West.

Usage

• The cowboy hat is a functional piece of headwear designed to protect the wearer from sun and rain.
• It is a quintessential part of traditional Western attire and a recognized cultural symbol.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "Ten-gallon hat": A colloquial term for a cowboy hat with a very large crown, though it does not actually hold ten gallons.
  • The sheriff was easily recognizable by his oversized ten-gallon hat.

Variants and Related Words

• Stetson (n): A popular brand of cowboy hat, often used generically to refer to a high-quality cowboy hat.
  • He saved up to buy a genuine Stetson.

Synonyms

• Western hat: A more general term.
• Range hat: Emphasizes its use in open ranch lands.

Related Phrases

• To hang up one's hat: To retire or stop doing an activity. (While not exclusive to cowboy hats, it is a common idiom in Western contexts).
  • After forty years of ranching, he decided to hang up his hat.

Noun

1. a hat with a wide brim and a soft crown; worn by American ranch hands