tartan
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tartan¹
- /ˈtɑːt(ə)n/ UK
- /ˈtɑɹtn̩/ US
- [-ɾn̩] US
- /ˈtɑɹt(ə)n/ Scotland
- /ˈtæɹ-/ Scotland
Sounds like Tartan · Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)tən
Where it comes from
The noun is an unadapted borrowing from Scots tartan, from Old Scots tartane, tertane, probably from Old French tertaine, tiretaine (“cloth of wool mixed with cotton or linen”), probably from tiret (“kind of precious cloth”) + -aine modelled after futaine (“woven cloth made from cotton mixed with linen or silk”). Tiret is derived from tire (“kind of silk cloth”), from Medieval Latin tyrium (“cloth dyed with Tyrian purple”), a noun use of Latin tyrium, an inflection of tyrius (“of Tyre, Tyrian”), from Latin Tyrus (“Phoenician city of Tyre (in modern Lebanon)”) (from Ancient Greek Τῠ́ρος (Tŭ́ros), from Phoenician 𐤑𐤓 (ṣr)) + -ius (suffix forming adjectives).
Another suggestion is that the Scots noun is from Middle English tartaryn (“rich cloth (probably silk) imported from the East, probably from China through Tartary”), from Old French (drap) tartarin (literally “cloth of Tartary”), from Medieval Latin Tartarīnus (“of Tartary or the Tatars”), from Latin Tartarus, Tatarus (“Tatar person”) + -īnus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). However, the Oxford English Dictionary notes that tartarin referred to a more expensive fabric.
Noun etymology 1, noun sense 2.2 (“type of fly used in fly fishing”) may refer to its use in Scotland: see the 1837 quotation. Etymology 1, noun sense 2.3 (“young person who is a member of a Protestant gang in Northern Ireland”) is from the fact that they were traditionally supporters of Rangers Football Club based in Glasgow, Scotland.
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun, while the verb is also derived from the noun.
noun tartans
-
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.
Her hands trembled […] as she adjusted the scarlet tartan screen or muffler made of plaid, which the Scottish women wore, much in the fashion of the black silk veils still a part of female dress in the Netherlands.
Similar: plaid, Scotch plaid
-
A pattern used on such fabric.
Similar: plaid, Scotch plaid
-
Clothing made from this fabric.
Dovvn flovv'd her robe, a tartan ſheen, / Till half a leg vvas ſcrimply ſeen; […]
Similar: plaid, Scotch plaid
- 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. What is called the tartan-fly kills well in the Highlands at the clearing of the water. The tail must be yellow, mixed with a little red; and tipt with silver-thread; the body must be of five or six different colours, yellow, blue, orange, green, red, and black; the colours must join; […]
- A young person who is a member of a Protestant gang in Northern Ireland. The Shankill was a tough district all right. It was really hard-line Protestant and most of the kids were in tough Prod gangs, like the Tartans.
- 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. Sir Colin [Campbell] called to Colonel [John Frederick] Ewart, 'Ewart, bring on the tartan!'; his bugler sounded the advance, and the seven companies of the Ninety-Third [(Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot] dashed from behind the bank.
- Originally a trade name in the form Tartan: a synthetic resin used for surfacing ramps, running tracks, etc. Bob Hayes ran a world record 9.1 for 100 y[ards] on a Tartan-surface track in St. Louis in 1963, and Tartan tracks (manufactured by 3M) were installed for the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1967, and for the Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968.
- Ellipsis of tartan-purry (“a porridge made from cabbage mixed with oatmeal”). But of oatmeal we have tartan—tartan purry it was sometimes called, and probably therefore was a partially French invention—a pudding made chiefly of chopped kale and oatmeal; […]
adjective more tartan · most tartan
- Made of tartan (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1), or having a distinctive pattern of coloured stripes intersecting at right angles like a that of a tartan. Her tartan petticoat ſhe'll kilt, / An' durk an' piſtol at her belt, / She'll tak the ſtreets, / An' rin her vvhittle to the hilt, / I' th' firſt ſhe meets!
- Of or relating to Scotland, its culture, or people; Scottish.
verb tartans · tartaning · tartaned
- To clothe (someone) in tartan (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1.2). That 42d tartan is Campbell tartan rests upon the fact that the Black Watch was officered by a large majority of Campbells at first. When I was first tartaned, more than fifty years ago, I was taken by John Campbell, piper, to the shop of his brother William, in Glasgow, to be tailored.
- To apply a tartan pattern to (something). The unholy beast in the box was the most splendid and graceful specimen of the monitor lizard I have ever seen. […] Smooth, though scaly, and inky black, tartaned all over with transverse rows of bright yellow spots, with eyes that shone like wild-fire, and teeth like quartz, with his forked tongue
- To make (something) Scottish, or more Scottish; to tartanize. The premier [Angus Lewis Macdonald] was photographed repeatedly at the annual Gaelic Mod, and sitting at a loom in a display of Highland handicrafts in Scotland itself. The premier also focused his attention on the tartaning of the provincially owned Keltic Lodge.
tartan²
- /ˈtɑːt(ə)n/ UK
- /ˈtɑɹtn̩/ US
- [-ɾn̩] US
- /ˈtɑɹt(ə)n/ Scotland
- /ˈtæɹ-/ Scotland
Sounds like Tartan · Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)tən
Where it comes from
Borrowed from French tartane, from Italian tartana; further origin uncertain, said to be from Arabic طَرِيدَة (ṭarīda, “type of fast ship”) but according to the Oxford English Dictionary there is insufficient evidence for this.
noun tartans · tartana · tartane
- A type of one-masted vessel with a lateen sail and a foresail, used in the Mediterranean. [W]e met Captain VVright, vvho came thither the day before; and had taken a Spaniſh Tartan, vvherein vvere 30 men, all vvell armed: […] VVe that came over Land out of the South Seas being vveary of living among the French, deſired Captain VVright to fit up his Prize the Tartan, and make a Man of VVa
Tartan³
- /ˈtɑːt(ə)n/ UK
- /ˈtɑɹtn̩/ US
- [-ɾn̩] US
Sounds like tartan · Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)tən
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Hebrew תַּרְתָּן (tartān) (translated into English in versions of the Old Testament of the Bible: see the quotations), from the Assyrian dialect of Akkadian 𒌉𒋫𒉡 (tur-ta-nu).
proper noun Turtan · Turtanu
- The commander-in-chief of ancient Assyria. And the king of Aſſyria ſent Tartan and Rabſaris, and Rabſhakeh, from Lachiſh to king Hezekiah, with a great hoſte againſt Jeruſalem: […]
Translations
Every language
noun woven woollen fabric with a distinctive pattern of coloured stripes intersecting at right angles originally associated with Scottish Highlanders
| Español | tartán |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 타르탄 tareutan |
| 日本語 | タータン tātan |
| Português | tartã |
| Français | tartan |
| Deutsch | Tartan |
| Italiano | tartan |
| Română | tartan |
| Русский | тарта́н tartán, шотла́ндский плед šotlándskij pled |
| العربية | طرطان |
| עברית | טארטן |
noun pattern used on such fabric
| 中文 | 花呢格紋 /花呢格纹 huānígéwén |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Schottenkaro |
Talk about this word "tartan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tartan. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tartan. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tartan "tartan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tartan.Cite this
@misc{tartan_2026,
title = {tartan},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tartan},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
