Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pass the hat

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.41 in modern English

Syllables: pass the hat
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To ask for money, especially from a group of people; to solicit donations or contributions.

Example Sentences

"Then somebody sings out, "Take up a collection for him, take up a collection!" Well, a half a dozen made a jump to do it, but somebody sings out, "Let HIM pass the hat around!""
"A consensus developed that those individuals who believed in this type of activism would pursue it independently, while enlisting help from interested members. When financial contributions were called for, we would "pass the hat" rather than tap our meager treasury."
"The institutions are opening development offices, hiring professional fund raisers, investing in slick billion-dollar campaigns, and trotting out their presidents to pass the hat."

Etymology

From the practice of placing money in a hat circulated to collect funds from a small group. The figurative usage is extended from the literal usage.

Inflected Forms

passes the hat (present, singular) passing the hat (participle, present) passed the hat (participle, past) passed the hat (past)

Phrases

basket house collection plate dig deep have one's hand out whip-round

Frequently Paired Words

basket house busking collection plate dig deep have one's hand out whip-round

Synonyms

take up a collection

Questions

What does pass the hat mean?: To ask for money, especially from a group of people; to solicit donations or contributions.
Where does pass the hat come from?: From the practice of placing money in a hat circulated to collect funds from a small group. The figurative usage is extended from the literal usage.

How to pronounce pass the hat

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