Puggries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Lightweight strips of cloth wound around a sun helmet or hat to shade the neck and back of the head
2. Scarves of thin fabric wrapped about a hat, traditionally worn in hot regions to keep off the sun
3. Long bands of light material coiled around a topi or sun hat, a garment common among colonial-era travellers in India

Etymology: "Puggries" is the plural of "puggry", a word English borrowed from Hindi "pagṛī", meaning a turban or head-cloth. The plural names the long bands of light fabric wound around the crown of a topi, the pith or sun helmet that became the signature headgear of colonial travellers in India. The wrapping was practical as much as decorative: it shaded the back of the neck and gave the helmet some protection from the sun's heat. The English term thus carries a South Asian garment into a European setting, with the Hindi word already naming the turban worn across the subcontinent. The plural form simply refers to the several cloth strips wound around a single hat.

Synonyms: turban