Standard Lemma guide

beanie

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ˈbiː.ni/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːni

1

noun

Meaning 1

A cap that fits the head closely, usually knitted from wool.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncommon

Topics: business, clothing, fashion, lifestyle, manufacturing, textiles

Examples

  • Enrique Iglesias is often seen wearing a beanie.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A head-hugging brimless cap, with or without a visor, made from triangular sections of cloth, leather, or silk joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncommon

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A Beanie Baby, a small soft toy filled with beans or similar stuffing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, uncommon

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a small skullcap; formerly worn by schoolboys and college freshmen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: beany

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: skullcap

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bhabh-? Proto-Germanic *babnōder.? Proto-Germanic *baunō Proto-West Germanic *baunu Old English bēan Middle English bene English bean Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English -ie English beanie From bean (“the head”) + -ie (diminutive suffix).

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: mus — cap that fits the head closely
  • Afrikaans: beanie — cap that fits the head closely
  • Arabic: طَاقِيَّة (ṭāqiyya) — cap that fits the head closely
  • Basque: txano — cap that fits the head closely
  • Bulgarian: пле́тена ша́пка (plétena šápka) — cap that fits the head closely
  • Catalan: barret de punt — cap that fits the head closely
  • Chinese Mandarin: 小圓帽 /小圆帽 (xiǎoyuánmào) — cap that fits the head closely
  • Danish: hue — cap that fits the head closely
  • Dutch: muts — cap that fits the head closely
  • Finnish: pipo — cap that fits the head closely
  • French: bonnet — cap that fits the head closely
  • French: tuque — cap that fits the head closely
  • German: Beanie — cap that fits the head closely
  • German: Haube — cap that fits the head closely
  • German: Mütze — cap that fits the head closely
  • German: Strickhaube — cap that fits the head closely
  • German: Strickmütze — cap that fits the head closely
  • Hungarian: téli/kötött sapka — cap that fits the head closely
  • Irish: bairéidín — cap that fits the head closely
  • Italian: berretto — cap that fits the head closely
  • Kazakh: шәпке (şäpke) — cap that fits the head closely
  • Korean: 비니 (bini) — cap that fits the head closely
  • Ladin: cazina — cap that fits the head closely
  • Malay: serkup — cap that fits the head closely
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lue — cap that fits the head closely
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: lue — cap that fits the head closely
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: luve — cap that fits the head closely
  • Polish: czapka ściśle przylegająca do głowy — cap that fits the head closely
  • Portuguese: touca — cap that fits the head closely
  • Portuguese: gorro — cap that fits the head closely
  • Russian: шапка (šapka) — cap that fits the head closely
  • Spanish: gorro — cap that fits the head closely
  • Spanish: capillo — cap that fits the head closely
  • Swedish: mössa — cap that fits the head closely
  • Turkish: bere — cap that fits the head closely
  • Vietnamese: nón len — cap that fits the head closely
  • Vietnamese: mũ len — cap that fits the head closely
Real reading context

beanie in complete knowledge articles