redcoat

noun

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web 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 There are a dozen redcoat soldiers on their way to arrest everyone. Lincee Ray, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2022 The slopes of Golden Gate Park were blanketed with drumming corps, students dressed as redcoats played war among the eucalypti, and beauties with long white gloves waved from convertibles bedecked with paper flowers. Daniel Mason, The Atlantic, 6 Apr. 2020 With memories of the redcoats still fresh in their minds, Americans who settled the region in the early 19th century preferred the name Mount Tacoma. National Geographic, 25 Sep. 2019 See More

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 28 May. 2023.

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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