tartan

noun

tar·​tan ˈtär-tᵊn 

1

: a plaid textile design of Scottish origin consisting of stripes of varying width and color usually patterned to designate a distinctive clan

2

a

: a twilled woolen fabric with tartan design

b

: a fabric with tartan design

3

: a garment of tartan design

Examples of tartan in a Sentence

a kilt in the clan's tartan

Recent Examples on the Web

His trademark tam o’ shanter hat informs much of the design, as tartan paneling of the same colors makes up the majority of the upper. —Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025

Family Heirlooms Handmade stockings, needlepoint pillows, old European villages, tartan tree skirts—these holiday decorations and more have been passed down through generations. —Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2025

Taylor Swift teamed a black turtleneck with a Miu Miu tartan mini skirt and brown knee-high boots, Gwyneth Paltrow added a black turtleneck to an all-black ensemble, and Pamela Anderson layered a lightweight black turtleneck sweater over slim trousers. —Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025

Conservative Burberry got sexy by putting its tartan pattern on bikinis. —Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Middle French tiretaine linsey-woolsey

First Known Use

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tartan

• carton
• garten
• marten
• parton
• quartan
• spartan
• kindergarten

Kids Definition

tartan

noun

tar·​tan ˈtärt-ᵊn 

1

: a plaid textile design of Scottish origin

2

: a fabric or garment with tartan design