a former province in Ireland, now comprising Northern Ireland and a part of the Republic of Ireland.
a province in N Republic of Ireland. 3,123 sq. mi. (8,090 sq. km).
Informal. Northern Ireland.
(lowercase) a long, loose, heavy overcoat, originally of Irish frieze, now also of any of various other woolen cloths.
a province and former kingdom of N Ireland: passed to the English Crown in 1461; confiscated land given to English and Scottish Protestant settlers in the 17th century, giving rise to serious long-term conflict; partitioned in 1921, six counties forming Northern Ireland and three counties joining the Republic of Ireland. Pop (three Ulster counties of the Republic of Ireland): 46 714 (2002); (six Ulster counties of Northern Ireland): 1 702 628 (2003 est). Area (Republic of Ireland): 8013 sq km (3094 sq miles); (Northern Ireland): 14 121 sq km (5452 sq miles)
an informal name for Northern Ireland
C19: so called because it was first produced in Northern Ireland
An ulster is a long coat that was commonly worn in Victorian Britain. The overcoat that Sherlock Holmes usually wears in photos, movies, and TV shows is a good example of an ulster. This long, sturdy coat often has an attached cape and a belt, although more modern versions tend to omit the cape. These days, you're most likely to get a glimpse of an ulster on a period drama, like the TV series Sherlock or a filmed version of a Charles Dickens novel. The ulster wasn't a dressy type of outerwear; it was meant for a working man. The word comes from the name of the Irish province, Ulster, where these coats were originally made.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hazzard told Good Morning Ulster that there were "plenty of people" in Scarva, including photographers and people videoing.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Earlier, Hazzard told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that what happened in Scarva, which is in his constituency of South Down, was "completely unacceptable".
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The panel of experts which chose the contenders is made up of wildlife filmmakers and presenters Gordon Buchanan, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Nadeem Perera, alongside Ulster Wildlife's Katy Bell, and academics Steve Ormerod and Dawn Scott.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
The Ulster Farmers' Union President, John McClenaghan, said crime was putting already stretched farms "under further strain".
From BBC • May 30, 2026
Many Ulster Scots went on to become soldiers and officers of the regular army.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
