1. A square cap with three or four ridges across the crown, worn by Roman Catholic clergy and some other Christian clergy.
Usage: Also spelled biretta.; Religious/ecclesiastical term.

Examples

• The priest wore a black birretta during the formal ceremony.
• Cardinals are traditionally depicted wearing a red birretta.
• The bishop adjusted his birretta before entering the cathedral.
• In formal liturgical dress, the birretta is an important part of clerical attire.
• The seminarian received his birretta as a symbol of his ordination.