Leghorn
name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Alternative letter-case form of leghorn. alt-of
"Among the light breeds there are probably more good strains of White Leghorn than any other variety. The Brown Leghorn is not quite so popular but is capable of high yields …. The Black Leghorn is another breed which has enjoyed popularity."
- 2 A type of dried plaited wheat straw fabric. uncountable
- 3 a stiff hat made of straw with a flat crown wordnet
- 4 A type of hat made from Leghorn straw. countable
"When straw-hats had become unfashionable, Mrs. Nollekens hinted to old White, the hatter […], that possibly he could accommodate her with a Leghorn hat at a moderate rate."
- 5 A small white chicken of a hardy breed. countable
- 1 The city of Livorno in Italy. dated
"Leghorn was the nearest port of consequence, […] the most likely of any in Italy to assist their plan. (III, ix)"
Example
More examples"As usual, she was extraordinarily festooned and bedizened, with a limp Leghorn hat anchored to her head by many windings of faded gauze, and a little black velvet parasol on a carved ivory handle absurdly balanced over her much larger hatbrim."
Etymology
From Old Italian Legorno, from Latin Liburnus, from Liburnī, name of the ancient population of Liburnians. Doublet of Livorno.
Mid 18th century: from Leghorn (“Livorno”), the place the straw and fowls were imported from.
Related phrases
More for "leghorn"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.