cateran

noun

cat·er·an ˈka-tə-rən

: a former military irregular or brigand of the Scottish Highlands

Word History

Etymology

Middle English (Scots) ketharan, probably from Medieval Latin katheranus, from Scottish Gaelic ceithearn band of fighting men

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of cateran was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Browse Nearby Words

cater

cateran

catercorner

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cateran.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cateran. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

emancipation

Listen to the pronunciation of emancipation

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly

Popular in Wordplay

8 Words for the Wordy and Talking Too Much

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

8 Words for the Wordy and Talking Too Much

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language