From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbonnetbon‧net /ˈbɒnɪt $ ˈbɑː-/ noun [countable] 1 British EnglishTTC the metal lid over the front of a car SYN hood American English I’ll need to check under the bonnet.2 a) DCCa warm hat that a baby wears which ties under its chin b) DCCa type of hat that women wore in the past which tied under their chin and often had a wide brim → have a bee in your bonnet at bee(2)
Examples from the Corpus
bonnet• Nobody can see the cataract today in all its splendor as the Victorian visitors in their top hats and bonnets saw it.• Her mouth opened, and stayed so, as her pale eyes widened under the close bonnet she wore.• Easter bonnets and egg hunts are surprisingly popular.• Wilcox lowered the bonnet and pushed it shut with the palm of his hand.• I chucked him on the bonnet of the car to get him off her.• Didn't look much like a model me and under the bonnet my suspicions were confirmed.• The bonnet was embedded in a stone wall.• It was magnificently low-slung, almost like a sports car, but with four plush leather seats and a thrusting bonnet.Origin bonnet (1300-1400) Old French bonet, from Medieval Latin abonnis “hat” 