What does fez mean?
A fez is a brimless, close-fitting hat with a flat top, most commonly made of red felt and adorned with a black silk tassel dangling from the centre of the crown. It takes its name from Fès, the historic Moroccan city associated with the production of the felt used in its manufacture. The fez became widespread across the Ottoman Empire during the nineteenth century, when it was promoted as a form of modern dress that avoided the religious distinctions signalled by turbans. It remains linked in the popular imagination with Morocco, Turkey, and the eastern Mediterranean, as well as with fraternal organisations such as the Shriners in North America. Today the word appears chiefly in historical, cultural, or costume contexts, and its distinctive shape makes it instantly recognisable wherever it is worn.
nounA flat-topped, cone-shaped or cylindrical brimless hat, typically made of red felt and often finished with a black tassel hanging from the crown.
- A brimless, flat-topped felt hat, usually red with a black tassel, historically associated with the Ottoman Empire and North Africa.
"The hotel doorman tipped his fez as the guests arrived."
"He wore a scarlet fez with a black tassel to complete his costume."
"The Shriners marched past in their fezzes during the parade."
The standard plural doubles the z: 'fezzes'. The variant 'fezes' is non-standard.
"The marchers wore matching red fezzes."
The fez is named after the Moroccan city of Fès, where the felt used to make it was once produced — and Turkey banned it in 1925 as part of sweeping modernising reforms.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fez
The word 'fez' derives from Fès (also spelled Fez), the city in Morocco famed for the felt from which these hats were originally made. It entered English in the early nineteenth century, during the period of growing European contact with North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. The hat itself spread widely through Ottoman lands after Sultan Mahmud II encouraged its adoption in the 1820s–1830s as part of military and civil reforms. Related forms include the Turkish term 'fes', which comes directly from the city name.
Related word forms
How fez is actually used
Neutral register; often used in historical, ceremonial, or costume contexts. In Western usage it frequently carries an exoticising or period flavour, evoking the Ottoman era or fraternal organisations such as the Shriners. The standard plural is 'fezzes'.
Easily confused with fez
'Fuzz' is informal slang for the police or for fluffy fibres, while a 'fez' is a brimless felt hat of North African origin.