toque

/tohk/, n.

1. a brimless and close-fitting hat for women, in any of several shapes.

2. a velvet hat with a narrow, sometimes turned-up brim, a full crown, and usually a plume, worn by men and women esp. in 16th-century France.

3. tuque.

[1495-1505; < F; r. earlier toock, towk ( < Pg touca coif), tock, tocque ( < It tocca cap), toke ( < Sp toca headdress); ulterior orig. obscure]

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▪ hat

      small, round, close-fitting hat, brimless or with a small brim, once worn by both men and women. In the 12th and 13th centuries, women wore embroidered toques, made of velvet, satin, or taffeta, on top of their head-veils.

      In the late 16th century, brimless, black velvet toques were popular with men and women. Throughout the 19th century, women wore toques, often small, trimmed with fur, lace, bows, flowers, or leaves. The typical white baker's cap, traditionally worn by chefs, is a form of toque.

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