cockade
noun

- a decorative knot of cloth worn in the hat, often for official ceremonies, to show rank

- an ornament (such as a rosette) usually worn on a hat as a badge

- a feather or ribbon worn on military headwear

Cambridge Dictionary / Merriam-Webster / Collins Dictionary

—
WORD ORIGIN

The word "cockade" originated in the early 17th century from the French word cocarde, originally an ornamental knot of ribbons worn on a hat.

In the mid-17th century it came to refer specifically to a badge or insignia in the form of a rosette or knot of ribbons worn on a hat as a distinctive mark by adherents of a party, members of a military unit, or servants of a noble house. The colours of the cockade eventually came to represent different political factions during the French Revolution.

By the 18th century, "cockade" had been adopted into English from the French word. Its use broadened to refer to a distinctive mark or badge worn on the hat or coat by any body of persons such as a servants or political supporters.

—
RECORD PRICE FOR A HAT!

A bicorne (two cornered) hat that belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte sold for €1.932 million (£1.69 million) at an auction in Paris, setting a new record price. The hat being auctioned by Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau has a cockade that Napoleon fixed to his hat in 1815, during the crossing of the Mediterranean from his exile in Elba to Antibes, where he lead a brief return to power.

In contrast to most of his officers who wore their hats facing forward, Napoleon wore his hat sideways so his troops could easily identify him on the battlefield.

Experts believe the high sale price was partly driven by the recent hype over the release of the film "Napoleon" directed by Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix. The iconic two-pointed hat with its decorative cockade (ribbons in distinctive colours) has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Napoleon over 200 years after his death — a symbol that has fueled collector demand for Napoleon memorabilia to this day.

—
SYNONYMS

- for decorative insignia, logos, ribbons, and other symbolic accessories worn on clothing to indicate membership, status or allegiance:

armband, badge, boutonnière, brassard, brooch, button, COCKADE, corsage, cravat, crest, emblem, feather, festoon, garland, insignia, lapel pin, logo, marker, medallion, pin, plume, ribbon, rosette, stamp, symbol, token, wreath

—
SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation, say something like:

“A COCKADE can add a splash of colour to an otherwise uninspiring headpiece.”

—
HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations.

Every month, I spend evening and weekend hours with my family researching and writing your daily OWAD. It remains FREE, AD-free, and ALIVE thanks to voluntary donations from appreciative readers.

If you aren’t already, please also consider supporting us - even the equivalent of a single cup of coffee a month will help us cover mailing, site hosting, and maintenance costs. Just head over to our DonorBox page:

https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-5-3

or bank transfer to Paul Smith
IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40
stating your first name and last name and “OWAD donation” as the ‘Verwendungszweck’

Thank you,

Paul