English Reference
Noun

hatter

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US /ˈhætɝ/ UK /hˈætɐ/ hat·ter UK spelling hatters

n.a person who makes or sells hats. This word is also used in a funny way to describe someone who is acting crazy, like the character in Alice in Wonderland.

n.a person who makes, sells, or repairs hats. Often used in a literary or idiomatic sense to refer to a person who is eccentric or mad, particularly in reference to Lewis Carroll's 'Mad Hatter'.


SIMPLE

The hatter showed me several different styles of felt hats.

CONTEXTUAL

In the nineteenth century, a skilled hatter could earn a good living by crafting high-quality top hats for the upper class.

COMPLEX

The local hatter had been in business for over a century, passing down the intricate art of millinery to his grandchildren who now manage the shop.

Arnott’s take on one of Lewis Carroll’s best-loved characters sees the Mad Hatter turn up for a tea party – but there’s no one there, so his imagination takes over.

The Guardian· 31 Aug 2026

Etymology 1

From Middle English hatter; equivalent to hat + -er.

Etymology 2

From an English dialect word, meaning "to entangle"; compare Low German verhaddern, verheddern, verhiddern.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English hatter
Level C2 · Proficiency
Frequency Occasional
Updated