redcoat

American  

[red-koht] / ˈrɛdˌkoʊt /

noun

1. (especially during the American Revolution) a British soldier.

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redcoat British  

/ ˈrɛdˌkəʊt /

noun

1. (formerly) a British soldier

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Etymology

Origin of redcoat

First recorded in 1510–20; red ¹ + coat

Explanation

The British are coming! The redcoats are coming! That’s what the Americans warned as British soldiers, or redcoats, were on their way to battle during the American Revolution. Guess what color the British soldiers’ coats were? While the use of the term redcoat is commonly thought of as an American invention (at least by most Americans), it was actually coined before the 17th century English Civil War. The redcoats in that conflict were the soldiers who supported Oliver Cromwell. Until the late 19th century, most British soldiers wore a uniform that included some sort of red coat. During the American Revolution, George Washington himself referred in letters to British soldiers as redcoats.

Example Sentences

The quarter-mile stroll from Lumpkin Street into Sanford Stadium, lined on each side with cheering fans and the Redcoat Marching Band, is a 21-year-old tradition but the Bulldogs’ attire is relatively new.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 3, 2022

Fifty years after the Revolutionary War, what if Americans still loyal to the crown erected statues of British Redcoat generals in their town squares?

From Washington Post • Aug. 11, 2022

When the band director Roger Dancz elected to remove the word “Dixie” from the Redcoat Marching Band’s name in the 1971 season, he was hanged in effigy, said Mark Maxwell, the Georgia athletics archivist.

From New York Times • Jan. 8, 2018

As they're talking, the Redcoat Marching Band came onto the field and spelled out "Yes, sir!"

From Golf Digest • Apr. 8, 2017

Mission completed, Morgan returned, in a Redcoat uniform, accompanied by six British soldiers—all true deserters, won over to the American army by Morgan.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen