tartan
/ˈtɑɹtn̩/ noun C2- Woven woollen fabric with a distinctive pattern of coloured stripes intersecting at right angles originally associated with Scottish Highlanders, now with different clans (though this only dates from the late 18th century) and some Scottish families and institutions having their own patterns; (countable) a particular type of such fabric.
- A pattern used on such fabric.
- Clothing made from this fabric.
- An individual who wears tartan (etymology 1, noun sense 1.2); specifically, a Scottish Highlander, or a Scottish person (chiefly a Scotsman) in general.
- A type of fly used in fly fishing, often to catch salmon.
- Preceded by the: a group of people customarily wearing tartan; Scottish Highlanders or Scottish people collectively; also, the soldiers of a Scottish Highland regiment collectively.
- Originally a trade name in the form Tartan: a synthetic resin used for surfacing ramps, running tracks, etc.
Plural tartans
From the library
It was at the brigantine that had left in the morning, and the tartan that had just set sail, that Edmond fixed his eyes.
As Dantès (his eyes turned in the direction of the Château d’If) uttered this prayer, he saw off the farther point of the Island of Pomègue a small vessel with lateen sail skimming the sea like a gull in search of prey; and with his sailor’s eye he knew it to be a Genoese tartan.
However, the vessel and the swimmer insensibly neared one another, and in one of its tacks the tartan bore down within a quarter of a mile of him.
This time he was both seen and heard, and the tartan instantly steered towards him.
Other matches
Learn tartan in real texts
With a free account, hover any word in the library for its meaning, hear it read aloud, save words for review timed to your memory, and see how much of each book you already know.