tailcoat

American  

[teyl-koht] / ˈteɪlˌkoʊt /

Or tail coat

noun

1. a fitted coat, typically worn by a man, cut away over the hips and descending in a pair of tapering skirts behind, usually black and worn as part of full evening dress.

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Etymology

Origin of tailcoat

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

A tailcoat and trousers, writing desk, and Breitling watch were among the other auctioned items previously owned by Morecambe.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2025

Ophelia’s mad scene, with Rae in mud-soiled underwear, matted hair and a men’s tailcoat, pounding on her chest as she sings to make the notes tremble, is eerie without overstatement.

From New York Times • May 15, 2022

But on Monday, it was Isaac’s filmmaker wife Elvira Lind who came in tails, and Isaac wore a trompe-l’œil white tie and tailcoat dress designed by Thom Browne.

From Seattle Times • May 8, 2022

At the time, members of the diplomatic corps — practically all men — were expected to own a cutaway tailcoat and striped trousers for formal receptions.

From Washington Post • Aug. 26, 2021

Purple-faced Mr. Cranston on his feet, half strangled by his collar, miserable in his spanking new tailcoat with the too-long sleeves.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck