redcoat
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of redcoat
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.
Vocabulary lists containing redcoat
The American Revolution - Introductory
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The American Revolution - Middle School and High School
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American History - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The lyricless yet significant redcoat transition, between “You’ll Be Back” and before “Right Hand Man.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2020
“A dream for some can be a nightmare for others,” a character intones over a Native American man, and Claire covers her bases by letting a smirking redcoat know that slavery is bad.
From Slate • Sep. 11, 2018
Jerry I love the dressing-up, I admit – I’ve got four costumes, including a redcoat and an admiral, and Nili has several gowns.
From The Guardian • Aug. 26, 2017
The colourful, organised entertainment - all served with a redcoat smile - became a cultural phenomenon.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2011
Some wore Greek armor, some British redcoat uniforms, some camouflage with tattered American flags on the shoulders.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
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.
