What does toupet mean?
Toupet is a noun for a small wig or piece of false hair traditionally worn to cover a bald spot, especially at the front or top of the head. In older usage, it could also mean the patch or tuft of hair itself. The word is French in origin and entered English in the seventeenth century, while the alternative spelling “toupee” became especially associated with American English. Although everyday speakers may still recognize it, the term can sound formal, old-fashioned, or humorous today, and it may evoke eighteenth- and nineteenth-century fashions in men’s dress. It is therefore more evocative than neutral in contemporary language. A toupet is normally associated with a man concealing hair loss, although the word can be used more broadly for any small hairpiece. Its usefulness lies in distinguishing a modest, often carefully fitted hairpiece from a full wig. In writing, writers should choose “toupet” or “toupee” according to their preferred variant, since both are accepted standard spellings.
nounA small wig or piece of false hair worn to cover a bald spot, especially at the front or top of the head. In older usage, it can also refer to a tuft or patch of hair itself.
- A small wig or piece of false hair worn to conceal a bald spot, especially on the crown or front of the head.
- A tuft or patch of hair, especially one worn or arranged to cover a bald area.
"He adjusted the toupet so that it blended naturally with the hair at the sides of his head."
"The theatrical costume included a powdered wig and a toupet designed to disguise the actor’s receding hairline."
"In the period novel, the gentleman concealed his embarrassment beneath an immaculate toupet."
The regular plural adds -s and is used when referring to more than one toupet.
"The shop displayed several toupets in different colors and styles."
A toupet looks like a tiny wig but comes with a distinctly French pedigree: its name began as a word for a tuft of hair.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does toupet come from?
English borrowed the word from French toupet, meaning a tuft or patch of hair. French developed the term from Old French toupe, which is generally traced to a Germanic word for a tuft. Its English use as a hairpiece covering baldness developed from the older sense of a tuft of hair worn over the scalp.
How toupet is actually used
The word can sound old-fashioned, formal, or humorous in modern use and may evoke eighteenth- and nineteenth-century men’s fashion. Toupee is especially associated with American English, while toupet is the more common British spelling.
Easily confused with toupet
Toupet and toupee are variant spellings of the same word rather than words with different meanings.