college cap

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

A trencher like the caps worn at the English Universities by students and bachelors of art, doctors of divinity, etc.

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 “college cap” mean?

A trencher like the caps worn at the English Universities by students and bachelors of art, doctors of divinity, etc.

Is “college cap” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.