turncoat

American  

[turn-koht] / ˈtɜrnˌkoʊt /

noun

1. a person who changes to the opposite party or faction, reverses principles, etc.; renegade.

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turncoat British  

/ ˈtɜːnˌkəʊt /

noun

1. a person who deserts one cause or party for the opposite faction; renegade

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Etymology

Origin of turncoat

First recorded in 1550–60; origin uncertain; possibly from the practice hiding one's allegiance by turning one's coat inside out and covering one's party colors, military insignia, or heraldic badges; turn + coat

Explanation

Someone who betrays his country during a war would be called a turncoat. If you suddenly start supporting a rival sports team, you might be called a turncoat, too. A turncoat is a traitor. Turncoat comes from the ancient practice of wearing a badge or pin on one's coat signifying the party or leader you supported. By "turning your coat" you quite literally hid your allegiance to others. Often used interchangeably with defector, and while they are similar they are not quite the same. Turncoat is worse: it implies no possibility of any good or honest motive. Defector can at least sometimes have a neutral or even positive implication.

Example Sentences

But that’s not quite right either: Pointing a finger at Tortora—as a dozen or so turncoat Camorristas will ultimately do—comes with benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

The turncoat was not only defeated but humiliated.

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2024

Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have employed a new seek-and-destroy strategy that uses turncoat carp to lead them to the fish’s hotspot hideouts.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 18, 2023

We catch glimpses of that conflict when a turncoat is caught spying or when intelligence succeeds or fails spectacularly.

From Washington Post • Mar. 25, 2022

Dasch didn't want the news getting back to Germany that he was the turncoat.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• defector
• informer