Definition

1. Noun:
   • An academic cap with a flat square top and a tassel: A traditional hat worn as part of formal academic dress, especially during graduation ceremonies. The square board is mounted on a skullcap.
   • A square board with a handle on the underside: A tool used in bricklaying and masonry to hold a quantity of mortar or plaster for easy access while working.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Academic Cap):
  • The graduates proudly tossed their mortarboards into the air after the ceremony.
  • The color of the tassel on the mortarboard often signifies the graduate's field of study.
• Noun (Mason's Tool):
  • The bricklayer skillfully spread mortar from his mortarboard onto the next layer of bricks.
  • He loaded the mortarboard with a fresh batch of plaster before starting on the wall.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used metonymically to represent graduation or academic achievement itself.
  • After years of hard work, she finally earned her mortarboard.

Variants and Related Words

• Academic cap: A more general term for the graduation hat.
• Hawk: A synonym for the mason's tool, especially in some regional dialects.
• Trowel: A related masonry tool used for spreading and shaping the mortar held on the mortarboard.

Synonyms

• For the cap: Graduation cap, academic hat.
• For the tool: Hawk, mason's board.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The two meanings are distinct and belong to different fields (academia vs. construction). They share the name because the flat, square shape of the academic cap resembles the shape of the mason's tool. Context always makes the intended meaning clear.

Noun

1. an academic cap with a flat square with a tassel on top
2. a square board with a handle underneath; used by masons to hold or carry mortar