What does hatpin mean?
A hatpin is a pin used to secure a hat, generally by passing it through the hat and into the wearer's hair. Unlike a simple functional pin, a hatpin often has an ornamental head, and it has been associated especially with formal hats and with the fashions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The word is therefore common in historical novels, costume descriptions, museum labels, and discussions of vintage clothing. In older usage, hatpins could be long and sharply pointed, which made them practical for securing elaborate hats but also gave them an occasional reputation as concealed weapons. Although modern hats are generally fitted and secured by other means, “hatpin” remains a vivid example of how a small accessory can reflect changing clothing styles, social conventions, and the practical demands of earlier fashions.
nounA pin used to secure a hat, usually by passing it through the hat into the hair, and often made decorative with a prominent head. In modern usage, it is chiefly associated with formal or historical dress.
- A pin worn through a hat to fasten it, commonly to the hair, often ornamentally.
"She fastened the wide-brimmed hat with an elegant hatpin."
"The bride wore a hat adorned with flowers and a pearl hatpin."
"The museum display included a late-Victorian hat secured with a long, decorative hatpin."
The standard plural is hatpins, with the s added directly to the end of the word.
"The collection includes several ornate hatpins from the early twentieth century."
A Victorian hatpin was not merely a fashion accessory: its long, slender form could help keep a hat in place and, in some cases, become an unexpected weapon.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hatpin come from?
Hatpin is an English compound formed from the established words hat and pin. Hat continues Old English hætt, while pin ultimately derives through French from Latin pinna. The compound arose as a name for a pin used with a hat, and its development reflects the historical practice of fastening hats securely to the hair while also providing an opportunity for ornament.
Related word forms
How hatpin is actually used
Today, hatpin is chiefly historical, literary, or used in descriptions of formal and period fashion. It can sound old-fashioned or nostalgic, and in older contexts it may also refer to a long, sharply pointed hat fastener.
Easily confused with hatpin
A hairpin is designed primarily to hold or style hair, whereas a hatpin passes through a hat to secure it, often while also serving as decoration.