toss one's hat into the ring

noun

a shaped covering for the head, usually with a crown and brim, especially for wear outdoors.

Roman Catholic Church.

the distinctive head covering of a cardinal.

the office or dignity of a cardinal. Compare red hat.

verb (used with object)

to provide with a hat; put a hat on.

Idioms

hat in hand, humbly; respectfully: He approached the boss, hat in hand.

pass the hat, to ask for contributions of money, as for charity; take up a collection: The lodge members passed the hat to send underprivileged children to summer camp.

take off one's hat to, to express high regard for; praise: We took off our hats to their courage and daring.

talk through one's hat, to speak without knowing the facts; make unsupported or incorrect statements: He is talking through his hat when he says he'll make the team.

throw/toss one's hat in/into the ring, to become a participant in a contest, especially to declare one's candidacy for political office: His friends are urging him to throw his hat in the ring.

under one's hat, confidential; private; secret: I'll tell you the real story, but keep it under your hat.

10.

wear two/several hats, to function in more than one capacity; fill two or more positions: He wears two hats, serving as the company's comptroller as well as its chief executive officer.

Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English hætt; cognate with Old Norse hǫttr hood; akin to hood¹

Related forms

hat·less, adjective

hat·less·ness, noun

hat·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To toss one's hat into the ring

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Toss one's hat into the ring is always a great word to know.

So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:

the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Collins

World English Dictionary

hat (hæt)

—n
1.	a. any of various head coverings, esp one with a brim and a shaped crown
	b. (in combination): hatrack
2.	informal a role or capacity
3.	at the drop of a hat without hesitation or delay
4.	informal I'll eat my hat I will be greatly surprised if (something that proves me wrong) happens: I'll eat my hat if this book comes out late
5.	hat in hand humbly or servilely
6.	keep something under one's hat to keep something secret
7.	informal (Brit) (interjection) my hat
	a. my word! my goodness!
	b. nonsense!
8.	old hat something stale or old-fashioned
9.	out of a hat
	a. as if by magic
	b. at random
10.	pass the hat round, send the hat round to collect money, as for a cause
11.	take off one's hat to to admire or congratulate
12.	talk through one's hat
	a. to talk foolishly
	b. to deceive or bluff
13.	(Irish) throw one's hat at it to give up all hope of getting or achieving something: you can throw your hat at it now
14.	throw one's hat in the ring, toss one's hat in the ring to announce one's intentions to be a candidate or contestant

—vb , hats, hatting, hatted
15.	(tr) to supply (a person, etc) with a hat or put a hat on (someone)

[Old English hætt; related to Old Norse höttr cap, Latin cassis helmet; see hood¹]

'hatless

—*adj*

'hatlike

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

hat

O.E. hæt "hat, head covering," from P.Gmc. *khattuz "hood, cowl" (cf. O.N. hattr), from PIE base *kadh- "cover, protect" (cf. Lith. kudas "tuft or crest of a bird," L. cassis "helmet"). Now, "head covering with a more or less horizontal brim." To throw one's hat in the ring was originally (1847)

to take up a challenge in prize-fighting. To eat one's hat was originally To eat Old Rowley's [Charles II's] hat.

Slang Dictionary

hat

n. Common (spoken) name for the circumflex (`^', ASCII 1011110) character. See ASCII for other synonyms.

Jargon
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Easton

Bible Dictionary

Hat definition

Chald. karb'ela, (Dan. 3:21), properly mantle or pallium. The Revised Version renders it "tunic."

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Matching Quote

"Yet some, who all this while did weep and sing,
And sing and weep, soared up into the ring;
But most would use no wing.
O fools, said I, thus to prefer dark night
Before true light!"

-Henry Vaughan

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