What does tam mean?
A tam is a traditional Scottish woollen cap, particularly the type associated with Highland dress. It is usually a substantial knitted or woven garment that may have a broad crown and sometimes a turned-up brim. The word is chiefly Scottish and is especially familiar through Robert Burns's poem Tam o' Shanter, whose title character wears such a cap. In Scottish English, tam can also be used as a verb meaning to steal. Outside Scottish contexts, the noun generally appears in literary, historical, or cultural references rather than everyday speech. Although tam may be translated broadly as cap or bonnet, those words describe a wider range of headwear and do not carry all of its specifically Scottish associations.
A traditional Scottish woollen cap or bonnet, especially one worn by Highland men.
"A feathered bonnet rested above the young man's tam."
Chiefly Scottish; now encountered most often in literary, historical, and cultural contexts.
Scottish: To steal.
"Someone tried to tam the bicycle from the schoolyard."
Chiefly Scottish and uncommon in general English.
The plural is grammatically regular but rarely used.
"The museum displays several woollen tams from nineteenth-century Scotland."
Burns's Tam o' Shanter made this traditional Scottish woollen cap immortal in literature.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tam come from?
The origin of tam is uncertain, and the word's earliest historical development is not fully established. Its association with Scottish clothing is firmly preserved by Robert Burns's late eighteenth-century poem Tam o' Shanter.
How tam is actually used
The noun is chiefly Scottish and may appear in English literature when Scottish dress or culture is being described. The verb is also characteristic of Scottish usage and is uncommon elsewhere.
Easily confused with tam
A tam is a Scottish woollen cap, whereas a tan is either a brownish skin color or the process of becoming sun-tanned.