What does cateran mean?
Cateran is a historical Scottish term for a Highland mercenary, especially one of the troops that formed a Scottish monarch’s bodyguard. It survives mainly in chronicle, antiquarian, and military history rather than in modern speech. In its most familiar historical context, the plural Caterans denotes the armed Highland band attached to the Scottish king. The word consequently carries a distinctly Scottish, feudal, and martial tone, but it should not be used as a modern synonym for Highlandman or Highlander without losing its specific military meaning. Modern readers are most likely to encounter it in accounts of medieval and early modern Scottish history, where it identifies a particular professional military following rather than an ethnic label. The term also distinguishes a specific kind of Scottish service from the general idea of a Highland clan force. It is an uncommon word, useful chiefly for reading older texts and for understanding the military institutions of Scotland’s past.
nounA member of a band of Highland mercenaries, especially a soldier in the bodyguard of a Scottish king. The term is now encountered mainly in historical and antiquarian writing.
- A member of a band of Highland mercenaries, especially one serving in the bodyguard of a Scottish king.
- Collectively, the body or band of such soldiers, commonly used in the plural form “Caterans.”
"The cateran joined the Highland band that guarded the Scottish king."
"The cateran joined the Highland band that guarded the Scottish king."
"In the chronicle, the Caterans appear as the monarch's armed bodyguard."
The standard plural is used both for individual members and, with capitalization, for the Highland bodyguard or military band as a whole.
"Several caterans joined the royal guard."
Behind this obscure word lies one of medieval Scotland’s most distinctive institutions: an armed Highland bodyguard serving the king.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does cateran come from?
The word entered English from Scottish Gaelic ceithern, usually glossed as “a levy of horse” or a band of horsemen. Its historical sense combined Highland military service with mounted troops, and it was used for the armed bodyguard maintained by the Scottish king. The English form cateran therefore preserves the word’s connection to a specific feudal military institution.
Related word forms
How cateran is actually used
This is a historical Scots term. It names a particular military force and should not be used as a modern general label for Highland people. “Caterans” is commonly capitalized when referring to the body or unit.