turncoat
Americannoun
noun
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
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.
She was a “turncoat and a female Benedict Arnold.”
From Los Angeles Times
Eventually they squeezed into a hovel before being discovered by a turncoat cabinet member.
From Salon
The turncoat was not only defeated but humiliated.
From Salon
Under the command of Benedict Arnold, the notorious turncoat American general who now fought with the British, the men carried silver handcuffs meant for the author of the Declaration of Independence.
From Literature
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
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.
