Surcoat
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A loose sleeveless garment worn over a suit of armor, sometimes colored or embroidered with the wearer's coat of arms. historical
"The ordered system of symbols which we know as heraldry came into being in the twelfth century to meet a military need. These symbols were emblazoned on shields, surcoats and fighting flags, and served as an invaluable means of identification when the features were obscured by the great helm."
- 2 a tunic worn over a knight's armor wordnet
- 3 An overgarment worn over a woman's gown; a kind of short robe worn over the tunic at the close of the 11th century. historical
"She wore a short surcoat of scarlet, cut low around the shoulders, sleeveless, reaching just below her hips, like the tabards worn by medieval heralds. Over it she wore a laced-edged cotta."
- 4 a loose outer coat usually of rich material wordnet
Example
More examples"The ordered system of symbols which we know as heraldry came into being in the twelfth century to meet a military need. These symbols were emblazoned on shields, surcoats and fighting flags, and served as an invaluable means of identification when the features were obscured by the great helm."
Etymology
From Middle English surcote, from Old French surcote, formed with sur (“over”) and cote (“coat, robe, tunic, overgarment”), respelled based on coat.
Related phrases
More for "surcoat"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.