tabard

American  

[tab-erd] / ˈtæb ərd /

noun

1. a loose outer garment, sleeveless or with short sleeves, especially one worn by a knight over his armor and usually emblazoned with his arms.

2. an official garment of a herald, emblazoned with the arms of his master.

3. a coarse, heavy, short coat, with or without sleeves, formerly worn outdoors.

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tabard British  

/ ˈtæbəd /

noun

1. a sleeveless or short-sleeved jacket, esp one worn by a herald, bearing a coat of arms, or by a knight over his armour

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Other Word Forms

• tabarded adjective

Etymology

Origin of tabard

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French tabart

Explanation

In the Middle Ages, men often wore a tabard, a short, sleeveless coat similar to a jerkin. Put on your tabard and tights, it's time for the Renaissance Faire! Tabards started out as modest dress, worn by monks and peasants starting in the 14th century. A hundred years later, knights began sporting belted tabards that were open at the sides and frequently emblazoned with a coat of arms. Today, an apron-like garment commonly worn by cleaners, caterers, and healthcare workers is sometimes also called a tabard. The famous starting place of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales was the Tabard Inn in London.

Example Sentences

Part of a tabard that may have belonged to him was discovered.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2023

He has also donned the red tabard worn by Big Issue vendors to sell the magazines in the capital.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2023

The prodigious output of those kitchens contributed to the Prince’s obesity, flatteringly disguised in the embroidered tabard and ermine-lined cape that he wore for his official coronation portrait, executed by Thomas Lawrence, in 1821.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 10, 2020

Because there is this long vertical tabard down the center front, I felt like it needs to have some type of purpose.

From Slate • Feb. 9, 2018

Ser Flement Brax wore a silver-and-purple tabard and the look of a man who cannot comprehend what he has just heard.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin