Toupees

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A hairpiece worn to cover baldness, often made from synthetic fibers or human hair
2. A wig designed specifically for men to conceal hair loss
3. A decorative accessory that mimics natural hair, enhancing appearance and style

Etymology: "Toupees" is the plural of "toupee," and the singular was first recorded in English in 1727, borrowed from French, where "toupet" meant a small tuft of hair or a forelock. The French word is a diminutive of "toupe," a tuft of hair, which goes back to a Frankish term "topp" meaning summit or crest. That Frankish word shares a Germanic ancestor with English "top," so the hairpiece is, etymologically, a little peak of hair. The meaning has shifted considerably. The original sense was simply a tuft or lock of natural hair, typically at the front of the head, and only later did it come to name a false piece of hair worn over a bald spot. The word thus moved from describing hair that grew on the head to describing hair that was attached to it.

Synonyms: wigs, hairpieces, extensions, toppers, falsies