Ulster
noun
a former province in Ireland, now comprising Northern Ireland and a part of the Republic of Ireland.
Ulster
American
[uhl-ster]
/ ˈʌl stər /
noun
-
a former province in Ireland, now comprising Northern Ireland and a part of the Republic of Ireland.
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a province in N Republic of Ireland. 3,123 sq. mi. (8,090 sq. km).
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Informal. Northern Ireland.
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(lowercase) a long, loose, heavy overcoat, originally of Irish frieze, now also of any of various other woolen cloths.
ulster
1
British
/ ˈʌlstə /
noun
Ulster
2
British
/ ˈʌlstə /
noun
-
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)
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an informal name for Northern Ireland
Ulster
Cultural
Other Word Forms
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 The word comes from the name of the Irish province, Ulster, where these coats were originally made.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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This fall she starts as music director of the Ulster Orchestra, bringing innovation to techy Ireland.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Most of Ulster Wildlife's barn owl records come from the east of Northern Ireland.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Overall winners will be announced live on Vinny and Cate's BBC Radio Ulster show on Friday 25 September.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
A new health minister for Northern Ireland is expected to be announced later following the resignation of Ulster Unionist Mike Nesbitt from the post.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
During the war for settler independence from Britain, the Ulster Scots were in the forefront of the struggle and formed the backbone of George Washington’s fighting forces.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Despite the cluckings of his doctors, George V wrapped himself in a thick ulster and went down to cold, wet Newmarket Heath last week for the Cambridgeshire.
From Time Magazine Archive
In the House of Commons, Winston Churchill rose to speak, swathed in a huge ulster that stretched nearly to the floor, his throat muffled in black wool.
From Time Magazine Archive
A figure, muffled to the eyes in an ulster, slouched out of the blur.
From Time Magazine Archive
Square-jawed Stanley Baldwin in a billowing grey ulster and a bullet-hard bowler hat motored to Windsor Castle early last week to kiss the King's hand, resign as Prime Minister of Great Britain.
From Time Magazine Archive
It was Gatsby's father, a solemn old man very helpless and dismayed, bundled up in a long cheap ulster against the warm September day.
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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.
