Tartan Definition

tärtn
noun
Woolen cloth with a woven pattern of straight lines of different colors and widths crossing at right angles, esp. as traditionally worn in the Scottish Highlands, with each clan having its own pattern.
Webster's New World
Any plaid cloth like this.
Webster's New World
Any tartan pattern.
Webster's New World
A garment made of tartan.
Webster's New World
A small, single-masted Mediterranean ship with a large lateen sail and a jib.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
adjective
Of, like, or made of tartan.
Webster's New World

(humorous) Scottish.

Wiktionary
verb

To clothe in tartan.

Wiktionary
pronoun

The commander-in-chief of ancient Assyria.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Tartan

Noun

Singular:
tartan
Plural:
tartans

Origin of Tartan

  • Blend of Middle English tartaryn (“rich material"), from Middle French tartarin (“Tartar cloth"), and Middle French tiretaine (“cloth of mixed fibers"), from Old French tiret (“kind of cloth"), from tire (“oriental cloth of silk"), from Medieval Latin tyrius (“material from Tyre"), from Latin Tyrus (“Tyre").

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English tartane possibly from Old French tiretaine linsey-woolsey probably from tiret a kind of cloth from tire silk cloth from Latin Tyrius Tyrian (cloth) from Tyrus , Tyre

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • French tartane from Provençal tartano from Old Provençal tartana buzzard of imitative origin

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From French tartane, from Italian tartana, of uncertain origin.

    From Wiktionary

  • Assyrian.

    From Wiktionary

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