tartan
Americannoun
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a woolen or worsted cloth woven with stripes of different colors and widths crossing at right angles, worn chiefly by the Scottish Highlanders, each clan having its own distinctive plaid.
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a design of such a plaid known by the name of the clan wearing it.
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any plaid.
adjective
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of, relating to, or resembling tartan.
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made of tartan.
noun
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a design of straight lines, crossing at right angles to give a chequered appearance, esp the distinctive design or designs associated with each Scottish clan
the Buchanan tartan
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( as modifier )
a tartan kilt
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a woollen fabric or garment with this design
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Highland dress
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tartan
1490–1500; variant of tertane < Middle French tertaine ( Old French tiretaine ) linsey-woolsey
Explanation
Tartan is a plaid pattern that's often woven from wool into cloth. Scottish bagpipers often wear knee socks and tartan kilts. A true tartan is a specific pattern that represents a certain Scottish clan or family. In 1746, the Scottish government tried to keep the clans peaceful and under control by banning tartan. While the words tartan and plaid are basically interchangeable in the U.S., in Scotland a plaid is a large tartan cloth or blanket. Experts believe that the word tartan is rooted in the Medieval Latin tyrius, "cloth from Tyre."
Vocabulary lists containing tartan
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Black Brother, Black Brother
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Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu
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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.
Grooms have shown Boston-based wedding planner Keri Ketterer Walter a specific tartan, a herringbone fabric swatch and “wallpaper that kind of looked like the scales of a trout” for decor inspiration, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
The Ramones had songs based on “Saturday Night,” and they dressed in the tartan plaids of Queens, which is the black leather jackets.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
William watched as his wife, Catherine, known as Kate, tried her hand at helping weave a two-mile-long tartan scarf at a mental health charity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
She wore a tartan outfit with powerful shoulder pads and a full skirt.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
Professor McGonagall, in a tartan bathrobe and a hair net, had Malfoy by the ear.
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
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.
