redcoat

noun

red·​coat ˈred-ˌkōt How to pronounce redcoat (audio)
: a British soldier especially in America during the Revolutionary War

Examples of redcoat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The aftermath is a sea of redcoats slain throughout the countryside. Lincee Ray, EW.com, 29 July 2023 Compromise with the Left Enemy the way the founders compromised with the redcoats at Concord, Bunker Hill, Saratoga and Yorktown. Jay Cost, National Review, 18 Oct. 2023 For 150 years, British redcoats essentially used the same Brown Bess musket. Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2023 Related: Battle of Lexington reenactment returns with fanfare after a two-year hiatus The skirmish took place in the early hours of April 19, 1775, and involved more than 3,500 American militia men and 2,100 British redcoats, leaving eight dead and 10 wounded. Sonel Cutler, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Apr. 2023 In the background, U.S. soldiers in blue fight off invading British redcoats. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2023 Franklin offered the same caution: if a turkey ran into a British redcoat, woe to the soldier. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2022 The history of sniping goes back to the Revolutionary War, when colonial sharpshooters, raised to use hunting rifles to procure game, turned their sights on British Army redcoat troops. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 22 Sep. 2022 Two additional regiments soon washed up in Boston, which added up to a redcoat for nearly every adult man. Stacy Schiff, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'redcoat.' 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

circa 1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of redcoat was circa 1605

Dictionary Entries Near redcoat

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

redcoat

noun
red·​coat ˈred-ˌkōt How to pronounce redcoat (audio)
: a British soldier especially during the American Revolution
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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