Ulster

American  

[uhl-ster] / ˈʌl stər /

noun

1. a former province in Ireland, now comprising Northern Ireland and a part of the Republic of Ireland.

2. a province in N Republic of Ireland. 3,123 sq. mi. (8,090 sq. km).

3. Informal. Northern Ireland.

4. (lowercase) a long, loose, heavy overcoat, originally of Irish frieze, now also of any of various other woolen cloths.

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Ulster ¹ British  

/ ˈʌlstə /

noun

1. a province and former kingdom of N Ireland: passed to the English Crown in 1461; confiscated land given to English and Scottish Protestant settlers in the 17th century, giving rise to serious long-term conflict; partitioned in 1921, six counties forming Northern Ireland and three counties joining the Republic of Ireland. Pop (three Ulster counties of the Republic of Ireland): 46 714 (2002); (six Ulster counties of Northern Ireland): 1 702 628 (2003 est). Area (Republic of Ireland): 8013 sq km (3094 sq miles); (Northern Ireland): 14 121 sq km (5452 sq miles)

2. an informal name for Northern Ireland

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ulster ² British  

/ ˈʌlstə /

noun

1. a man's heavy double-breasted overcoat with a belt or half-belt at the back

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Ulster Cultural  

1. A historic division of Ireland, located in the northeastern part of the island. Six of its nine counties are in Northern Ireland. (See Republic of Ireland.)

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Other Word Forms

• Ulsterite noun

Etymology

Origin of ulster

C19: so called because it was first produced in Northern Ireland

Explanation

An ulster is a long coat that was commonly worn in Victorian Britain. The overcoat that Sherlock Holmes usually wears in photos, movies, and TV shows is a good example of an ulster. This long, sturdy coat often has an attached cape and a belt, although more modern versions tend to omit the cape. These days, you're most likely to get a glimpse of an ulster on a period drama, like the TV series Sherlock or a filmed version of a Charles Dickens novel. The ulster wasn't a dressy type of outerwear; it was meant for a working man. The word comes from the name of the Irish province, Ulster, where these coats were originally made.

Example Sentences

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, Muir said he considered water quality in Belfast Lough "very seriously".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Handler says she jumped at the chance to return to L.A. even though she would be beginning her first season of her first music director job at the Ulster Orchestra in Ireland.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Jodie also said she feels let down by Ulster University and how they dealt with her complaint about Garfield's harassment.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

That heritage gave both him and the backcountry settlers he epitomized their combative sense of equality and dignity—rooted in the history of British impositions on their ancestral lands in Ulster.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The Ulster Scots became the core group of frontier settlers in North America.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• cloak
• frock
• jacket
• overcoat
• raincoat
• suit
• tuxedo
• windbreaker
• wrap