tailcoat

noun

tail·​coat ˈtāl-ˌkōt How to pronounce tailcoat (audio)
: a coat with tails
especially : a man's full-dress coat with two long tapering skirts at the back
tailcoated adjective

Examples of tailcoat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The actor, who plays Van Palmer on the beloved show, wore a tuxedo tailcoat typically worn with white tie and tuxedo shirt. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 16 Jan. 2024 But in the United Kingdom, where Eton serves as the ultimate symbol of the elite — Princes William and Harry studied there, as well as Boris Johnson, David Cameron and many other prime ministers, and pupils wear tailcoats — the situation was greeted with puns and a heavy dose of schadenfreude. Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2024 This type of hummingbird has a long beak that appears to examine flowers the way a doctor might examine a patient; further, the black crest and tails of the bird resemble the top hat and long tailcoats doctors once wore. Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2023 For the latter track, Madonna sports a punky tailcoat by Findikoglu, inspired by an archival blazer that the singer wore for a performance in Japan back in the ’80s. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2023 Caius Folkerts, 12, was enthusiastically doing his first fitting of an Eton tailcoat. Emma Bubola, New York Times, 6 July 2023 Pictured arriving at Westminster Abbey, his black wool and mohair peak lapel tailcoat is worn with a matching double-breasted vest and trousers, a white shirt, and gray tie. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 19 June 2023 The dance’s energetic moments did have flecks swirling around the floor and clinging to Astaire’s tailcoat. Brenda Cronin, WSJ, 25 May 2023 Dressed in a top hat and tailcoat, William and Kate — who wore a brown and white polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich paired with a hat featuring floral details on top by Sally-Ann Provan — rode in the first carriage that appeared at the top of the course and traveled along the famous track. Simon Perry, PEOPLE.com, 17 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tailcoat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tailcoat was in 1847

Dictionary Entries Near tailcoat

Cite this Entry

“Tailcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailcoat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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