A felt hat with a fairly low, creased crown with a brim that can be turned up or down.
"He pulled his fedora down over his eyes to shield them from the bright sun."
In plain English: A fedora is a type of hat with an indented crown and a brim that can be worn up or down.
"He wore a dark fedora to match his trench coat at the noir film premiere."
Usage: Use this term to describe the specific style of men's felt hat characterized by its indented crown and pinched front, distinguishing it from similar wide-brimmed hats like sombreros or fedoras often confused in casual conversation due to their shared brims. Avoid using "fedora" as a verb; instead, use phrases like "wear a fedora."
The word "fedora" comes from the title of a 19th-century play by Victorien Sardou in which the heroine wore this specific style of hat. Although named after her character Fédora Romazov, the name ultimately traces back to an Ancient Greek phrase meaning "gift of god."