What does "redcoat" mean?

A British soldier (stemming from the military uniform of British infantry since the 17th century).

What is a synonym for "redcoat"?

Common synonyms include: lobsterback, american revolutionary war, anzac, askari, aussie, boche.

//ˈɹɛdˌkoʊt// noun, verb, slang

noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Noun

1
A British soldier (stemming from the military uniform of British infantry since the 17th century). historical
"The street sounds to the soldiers’ tread, / And out we troop to see: / A single redcoat turns his head, / He turns and looks at me."
2
British soldier; so-called because of the soldier's red coat (especially during the American Revolution) wordnet
3
A member of the entertainment staff at Butlin's holiday camps in the United Kingdom, who wear red blazers.
"The series ran from 1980 until 1988, and won a BAFTA for Best Comedy Series in 1984. It was based on Perry’s experiences working as a Redcoat in Butlins."
4
A fox. slang
"Hurriedly he made his way around one end of the pond to the spot where he had first sighted the redcoat."

Verb

"The street sounds to the soldiers’ tread, / And out we troop to see: / A single redcoat turns his head, / He turns and looks at me."

Bahuvrihi compound of red + coat.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.