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.

3. 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.

4. (initial capital letters)

   1. 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.

   2. a member of this force.

adjective

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 black-and-tan saloon.

   a so-called “black and tan” musical revue of the 1920s;

   a black-and-tan saloon.

black and tan

noun

1. a mixture of stout or porter and ale

Word History and Origins

Origin of black and tan¹

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