a former province in Ireland, now comprising Northern Ireland and a part of the Republic of Ireland.
a province in N Republic of Ireland. 3,123 sq. mi. (8,090 sq. km).
Informal. Northern Ireland.
(lowercase) a long, loose, heavy overcoat, originally of Irish frieze, now also of any of various other woolen cloths.
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)
an informal name for Northern Ireland
C19: so called because it was first produced in Northern Ireland
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 The word comes from the name of the Irish province, Ulster, where these coats were originally made.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As the peatlands restoration manager with Ulster Wildlife, Devenney said the time has come to look for alternatives to imported coir logs.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
As a senior conservation officer with Ulster Wildlife she said "a lack of good habitat and food would be the main reasons" for that decline.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
Ulster Wildlife's Katy Bell said the GPS does not impact the hedgehog as "they can still roll up into a ball".
From BBC • May 9, 2026
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, McMullan said, from his point of view on Monday morning in Newcastle, the wildfires on the eastern side of the Mournes seemed to have "died down".
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
He guarded the house and regions beyond and became a great hero, the Hound of Ulster itself.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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.
