cap and gown
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The full academical costume of a university student, tutor, or master, worn at lectures, examinations, and after "hair* (dinner).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “cap and gown” mean?
The full academical costume of a university student, tutor, or master, worn at lectures, examinations, and after "hair* (dinner).
Is “cap and gown” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.