fool's cap
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A conical cap with feather and bells, such as licensed fools used to wear. For the paper so called, see FOOLSCAP.
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 “fool's cap” mean?
A conical cap with feather and bells, such as licensed fools used to wear. For the paper so called, see FOOLSCAP.
Is “fool's cap” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.