black and tan


noun
  1. a black dog with tan markings above the eyes and on the muzzle, chest, legs, feet, and breech.

  2. a drink made of equal parts of ale and stout or porter.

  1. U.S. History. a member of a former faction of the Republican Party in the South supporting the inclusion of African Americans in political life in the last decades of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.: Compare lily-white (def. 4).

  2. (initial capital letters)

    • Usually Black and Tans. an armed force of about 6000 soldiers sent by the British government to Ireland in June, 1920, to suppress revolutionary activity: so called from the colors of their uniform.

    • a member of this force.

adjectiveSometimes black-and-tan .
  1. Older Use: Offensive. denoting or relating to a biracial person, usually having one biological parent who is Black and one who is white.

  2. Informal. (in historical use) composed of or frequented by both Black and white people, as a place allowing racial intermingling and promoting integration: a so-called “black and tan” musical revue of the 1920s;a black-and-tan saloon.

Origin of black and tan

1
First recorded in 1840–50 (for def. 1)

Words Nearby black and tan

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use black and tan in a sentence

  • A black-and-tan police cruiser from the Florida Highway Patrol pulled up to the scene.

    The Tiger Coverup | Steve Helling | May 3, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • A black-and-tan collie with a blue-ribbon round his neck, and a saucy look on his face.

    Grey Town | Gerald Baldwin
  • Then, "Lie down, Turk," to a black-and-tan Hound that came growling out.

    Two Little Savages | Ernest Thompson Seton
  • One of these was a Polish countess, who took with her a little black-and-tan terrier.

  • We had then a very handsome black-and-tan setter, which was a great pet in the house.

    Animal Intelligence | George J. Romanes

British Dictionary definitions for black and tan

black and tan

noun
  1. a mixture of stout or porter and ale

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012