biretta

English

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn wearing a red biretta

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian biretta, berretta. Doublet of beret.

Noun

biretta (plural birettas)

1. A square cap, originally with four ridges across the top, surmounted by a tuft, worn by Roman Catholic clergy (and by some in the Anglican Church). A three-sided biretta is worn by Roman Catholic clergy for liturgical celebrations.
   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.

Derived terms

• biretta'd

Translations

square cap

• Catalan: birreta f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 四角帽 (sìjiǎomào)

• French: barrette (fr) f
• German: Birett n
• Italian: berretta (it) f
• Irish: birréad m
• Japanese: ビレッタ帽 (birettabō)
• Polish: biret (pl) m
• Portuguese: barrete (pt) m
• Spanish: birreta f
• Tagalog: bireta

References

• The Catholic Encyclopedia's entry for "Biretta"

Anagrams

• battier, bit rate, bitrate, terabit