noun · 2 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈbɛɹeɪ/
rhymes with -ɛɹeɪ
General-American:/bəˈɹeɪ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪ
obsolete:/ˈbɛɹɪt/
CMU ARPABET:B EH1 R AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:B EH1 R EY0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A type of round, brimless cap with a soft top and a headband to secure it to the head; usually culturally associated with France.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a cap with no brim or bill; made of soft cloth
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cap
History
Etymology
Borrowed from French béret, from Occitan (Gascon) berret (“cap”), from Old Occitan berret, from Medieval Latin birretum, from Late Latin birrus (“large hooded cloak”), from Gaulish birrus (“short cloak”), from Proto-Celtic *birros (“short”) (compare Welsh byr, Middle Irish berr). Compare biretta.
Across languages
Translations
50 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
baret
— type of brimless cap
Albanian:
beretë
— type of brimless cap
Armenian:
բերետ
(beret)
— type of brimless cap
Basque:
txapel
— type of brimless cap
Bulgarian:
барета
(bareta)
— type of brimless cap
Catalan:
boina
— type of brimless cap
Chinese Mandarin:
貝雷帽 /贝雷帽
(bèiléimào)
— type of brimless cap
Czech:
baret
— type of brimless cap
Danish:
beret
— type of brimless cap
Danish:
baret
— type of brimless cap
Danish:
alpehue
— type of brimless cap
Dutch:
baret
— type of brimless cap
Esperanto:
bireto
— type of brimless cap
Esperanto:
bereto
— type of brimless cap
Estonian:
barett
— type of brimless cap
Finnish:
baretti
— type of brimless cap
French:
béret
— type of brimless cap
German:
Barett
— type of brimless cap
German:
Baskenmütze
— type of brimless cap
German:
Tellermütze
— type of brimless cap
Greek:
μπερές
(berés)
— type of brimless cap
Hebrew:
כומתה
(kumta)
— type of brimless cap
Hungarian:
svájcisapka
— type of brimless cap
Hungarian:
baszk sapka
— type of brimless cap
Icelandic:
alpahúfa
— type of brimless cap
Ido:
beredo
— type of brimless cap
Irish:
beiré
— type of brimless cap
Italian:
basco
— type of brimless cap
Japanese:
ベレー帽
(berē bō)
— type of brimless cap
Japanese:
ベレー
(berē)
— type of brimless cap
Korean:
베레모
(beremo)
— type of brimless cap
Korean:
베레
(bere)
— type of brimless cap
Latvian:
berete
— type of brimless cap
Lithuanian:
beretė
— type of brimless cap
Macedonian:
баретка
(baretka)
— type of brimless cap