1
: a plaid textile design of Scottish origin consisting of stripes of varying width and color usually patterned to designate a distinctive clan
2
a
: a twilled woolen fabric with tartan design
b
: a fabric with tartan design
3
: a garment of tartan design
Examples of tartan in a Sentence
a kilt in the clan's tartan
Recent Examples on the Web
Leaning into festive dressing, Middleton wore the suede boots with a brown tartan coat from Blazé Milano.
—
Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 25 Dec. 2025
Kate Middleton's latest fashion success relies on nothing less than a pair of suede boots and a tartan coat.
—María Munsuri, Glamour, 25 Dec. 2025
Open six days a week, the museum gives a crash course in traditional Scottish Highlands dress with tartans and kilts dating back the 17000s.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025
The kilted and tartan-clad bagpiper played his welcome as a red carpet unfurled at track 19 of Edinburgh’s Waverley Station.
—Jake Emen, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tartan
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Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 25 Dec. 2025
Kate Middleton's latest fashion success relies on nothing less than a pair of suede boots and a tartan coat.
—María Munsuri, Glamour, 25 Dec. 2025
Open six days a week, the museum gives a crash course in traditional Scottish Highlands dress with tartans and kilts dating back the 17000s.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025
The kilted and tartan-clad bagpiper played his welcome as a red carpet unfurled at track 19 of Edinburgh’s Waverley Station.
—Jake Emen, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tartan
Cite this Entry
“Tartan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tartan. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tartan
noun
tar·tan
ˈtärt-ᵊn 
1
: a plaid textile design of Scottish origin
2
: a fabric or garment with tartan design
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