turncoat

UK/ˈtəːn.kəʊt/US/ˈtɝn.koʊt/

nounC2Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #12,407 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: turncoats

A turncoat is somebody who deserts to the other side. Branded a turncoat, a political turncoat, the turncoat's reward.

It is always an insult and is used most in politics, where changing party invites it whatever the reason. The name is said to come from coats lined in a second colour that could be turned to show the other side.

Definitions of turncoat

1nounturncoatSomebody who deserts to the other side.C2
“The soldiers never forgave the turncoat who had sold their plans to the enemy.”

turncoat is a traitor.

Where it comes from

From the practice of wearing a coat lined in another colour, which could be turned to show the other side.

A turn + coat, reportedly derived from the sometime military practice of wearing uniform coats that were lined in material of a contrasting color, and which could be worn inside out to present a different appearance.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

turncoat in the wild

The rebels were a mix of former soldiers of the Batista regime, local farmers, and turncoat ex-guerrillas who had fought alongside Castro against Batista during the Cuban Revolution.
Escambray rebellion
John Sadleir was an Irish financier and politician, who became notorious as a political turncoat, and committed suicide after the failure of his financial speculations.
John Sadleir
Count Rennenberg, Stadtholder of Friesland, had betrayed the cities of Groningen, Oldenzaal, Coevorden, and Delfzijl to Spanish control and himself became a turncoat.
Siege of Niezijl
Genna was ambushed by a Genna family turncoat on orders of North Side Gang leaders Vince Drucci and Bugs Moran.
Tony Genna

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

← Vocabulary