hard hat

noun

 usually  for sense 1 and -ˈhat,
for senses 1b and 2
-ˌhat How to pronounce hard hat (audio)
1
a
: a protective hat made of rigid material (such as metal or fiberglass) and worn especially by construction workers
b
: a construction worker
2
: a conservative who is intolerant of opposing views

Examples of hard hat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Workers in highlighter-yellow vests and hard hats milled around, some looking amused, others frustrated. Katie Myers, WIRED, 20 Jan. 2024 Outfitted in hard hats and slickers, visitors ride 1,500 feet deep into the tunnels for an up-close look at mining techniques, conditions and dangers. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Jan. 2024 But when hard hats attacked antiwar protesters on Nixon’s behalf in 1970, the idea that Randolph’s plan for a rising minimum wage might save the day for solidarity seemed quaint. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023 The workers called the FRA emergency dispatch using a number affixed to their hard hats. Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023 In one video recorded on Long Island, Dr. Cohen and a county health official, wearing hard hats and vests, reported on how wastewater can help scientists track viruses and disease. Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2023 On a chilly, humid morning, Mr. Macron donned a hard hat and took a three-minute elevator ride to visit a new spire that is nearing completion atop the famed Gothic edifice that was ravaged by a devastating fire in April 2019. Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2023 Some rescue workers in hard hats made victory signs and posed for pictures. Saurabh Sharma, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Nov. 2023 The video showed the men standing in the tunnel and wearing hard hats, with a bright light shining behind them. Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hard hat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard hat was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near hard hat

Cite this Entry

“Hard hat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20hat. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hard hat

noun
1
: a protective helmet worn especially by construction workers
2
: a construction worker

More from Merriam-Webster on hard hat

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