petasus

P3E1T1A1S1U1S1
UK/ˈpɛtəsəs/

noun

A broad-brimmed, low-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, especially for travelling, and as often pictured to be worn by Hermes (or Mercury); (later also) the brimless winged cap worn by Hermes in later artistic depictions.

OriginLatin petasus ← Koine Greek πέτασος ← Ancient Greek πεταννύναι →
First used 16th c.Scrabble 9
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Meanings

nounpetasus (plural petasi)

plural petasi · alternative petasos

  1. historicalA broad-brimmed, low-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, especially for travelling, and as often pictured to be worn by Hermes (or Mercury); (later also) the brimless winged cap worn by Hermes in later artistic depictions.First known use 16th c.

    Their faces were shadowed beneath broad-brimmed, low-crowned petasoses.

    1981, Gene Wolfe, chapter XXV, in The Claw of the Conciliator (The Book of the New Sun; 2), New York: Timescape, →ISBN, page 238

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπεταννύναι“to spread out”
  2. Koine Greekπέτασος
  3. Latinpetasus
  4. Englishpetasus

Borrowed from Latin petasus, and its source, Koine Greek πέτασος (pétasos), from Ancient Greek πεταννύναι (petannúnai, “to spread out”).

More words from Latin, Koine Greek, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek πέτασος
  • πέτασος (pétasos)low-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Basque petaso
  • petasolow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Bulgarian петасос
  • петасос (petasos)low-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Catalan pétasos
  • pétasoslow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Dutch petasus
  • petasuslow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Esperanto petazo
  • petazolow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
French pétase
  • pétaselow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
German Petasos
  • Petasoslow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Hungarian petasus
  • petasuslow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Italian petaso
  • petasolow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Korean 페타소스
  • 페타소스 (petasoseu)low-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Norwegian petasos
  • petasoslow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Polish petasos
  • petasoslow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Portuguese pétaso
  • pétasolow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Russian петас
  • петас (petas)low-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Spanish petaso
  • petasolow-crowned hat worn by the Ancient Greeks and Romans
Cite this entry
APA

petasus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/petasus

MLA

“petasus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/petasus. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “petasus,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/petasus.

Source: petasus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.