toupee
toupee
UK[ˈtuːpeɪ]US[tuːˈpeɪ]
n
a small wig or hairpiece worn to cover a bald spot, typically on the top of a man's head.
Etymology
the word 'toupee' entered english in the early 18th century from the french 'toupet', meaning a small tuft of hair or a forelock. the french term is a diminutive of the old french 'toupe', meaning 'tuft', which itself likely derives from the frankish word 'top' or 'topp', meaning a summit or tuft of hair, a term of germanic origin. the semantic journey thus moved from a general term for a hair tuft to the specific modern meaning of an artificial hairpiece designed to conceal male baldness, reflecting the fashion trends of the french court which were later adopted in england.
Analysis
this word is a loanword adopted as a single unit; it does not contain separable morphemes within modern english spelling.
Examples
he wore a rather obvious toupee that didn't quite match his natural hair color.
the actor's toupee flew off during the intense action scene, much to the audience's amusement.
investing in a high-quality, custom-made toupee can make it virtually undetectable.