warbonnet

noun

war·​bon·​net ˈwȯr-ˌbä-nət How to pronounce warbonnet (audio)
plural warbonnets
Synonyms of warbonnetnext
: a ceremonial headdress often having a feathered extension down the back and worn traditionally by leaders and warriors of the Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains

Illustration of warbonnet

Illustration of warbonnet

Examples of warbonnet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This week on the @natgeo Instagram, a swimmer navigates Devil's Eye Spring, meerkats embrace in Botswana, and a mosshead warbonnet peeks its head out of the neck of a bottle. — Steve Winter, National Geographic, 9 Sep. 2016 Among my People, the Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation), the warbonnet was only given to those who earned each and every eagle feather through bravery, self-sacrifice and great deeds of valor. — Ruth Hopkins, Teen Vogue, 12 Nov. 2019 Love is a War Song follows pop star Avery Fox, who is reeling from a backlash after posing in a Native American warbonnet on the cover of Rolling Stone. — EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of warbonnet was in 1810

Rhymes for warbonnet

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Browse Nearby Words

warbly
warbonnet
war bride
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Cite this Entry

“Warbonnet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warbonnet. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

warbonnet

noun
war·​bon·​net ˈwȯr-ˌbän-ət How to pronounce warbonnet (audio)
: a long feathered ceremonial headdress of North American Indigenous peoples

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