1. square caps with three or four ridges on top, worn by Roman Catholic clergy
Usage: ecclesiastical; plural form of biretta

Examples

• The cardinals wore red birettas during the ceremony.
• Black birettas are typically worn by priests.
• The bishop’s purple biretta distinguished his rank among the clergy.
• Students at the seminary learned about the significance of birettas in Catholic tradition.
• The altar servers carefully arranged the birettas before the service.
• Different colors of birettas indicate various levels of church hierarchy.