noun
- Plural of birretta; square caps with three or four ridges worn by Roman Catholic clergy.
Usage: religious; formal
Examples
- The priests wore their birrettas during the formal ceremony.
- The cardinal's birrettas were displayed in the sacristy.
- Birrettas are traditional headwear in the Catholic Church.
- The seminarians received their birrettas upon ordination.
- Different colors of birrettas indicate different ranks within the clergy.