Noun

(en noun)

A protective head covering.

* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)

, title=(The China Governess) , chapter=2 citation , passage=Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety.  She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet .}}

That which resembles a helmet in form, position, etc.

# The upper part of a chemist's retort.

# The hood-shaped upper sepal or petal of some flowers, as of the monkshood or the snapdragon.

# A naked shield or protuberance on the top or fore part of the head of a bird.

# (heraldry) The feature above a shield on a coat of arms.

Noun

(countable) An ornamental plume on a helmet.

* 1896 — , Chapter 4

I had taken the panache from my shako so that it might escape notice, but even with my fine overcoat I feared that sooner or later my uniform would betray me.

(uncountable) Flamboyant, energetic style or action; dash; verve.

* 1894 —

One old gentleman, who was in the habit of reading a Paris newspaper and knew things, chuckled gleefully to everybody that Alcée’s conduct was altogether chic, mais chic. That he had more panache than Boulanger. Well, perhaps he had.