redcoats

Noun

redcoat (plural redcoats)

1. (historical) A British soldier (stemming from the military uniform of British infantry since the 17th century).
   • 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.1896, A[lfred] E[dward] Housman, “[Poem] XXII”, in A Shropshire Lad, New York, N.Y.: John Lane Company, The Bodley Head, published 1906, →OCLC, stanza 1, page 32

   Synonyms:

   lobsterback

2. 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.2013 May 16, Mirror News
3. (slang, kenning) A fox.
   • Hurriedly he made his way around one end of the pond to the spot where he had first sighted the redcoat.1947, Pennsylvania Game News, page 30

See all 4 meanings of redcoat