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zucchetto

/zuˈkɛtoʊ/
IPA guide

Other forms: zucchettos

A zucchetto is a type of hat, but not one you'll see in trendy stores. It's a small, round, brimless cap worn by some religious leaders in the Catholic, Syriac Orthodox, and Anglican churches.

This cap looks similar to the yarmulke or kippah worn by Jewish men, but the two developed independently. Unlike the kippah, the zucchetto is usually made of seven or eight triangular pieces, with a tiny stem on the top. The color of the zucchetto indicates the wearer's rank. The word zucchetto comes from the Italian word zucca meaning both "gourd" and "head," plus an ending that makes things smaller. So while it literally means "little gourd," the actual meaning is the (slightly more mundane) "small cap."

Definitions of zucchetto
  1. noun
    a small, tight-fitting, round cap worn by certain Christian leaders, especially in Catholicism
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