What does tailcoat mean?
A tailcoat is a traditional formal coat for men, characterized by a front that curves or cuts away and two long sections, or tails, extending down the back. It is associated especially with evening dress, white-tie ceremonies, concerts, banquets, and other formal occasions in which traditional dress is expected. The word emphasizes the distinctive shape of the garment rather than its color or material, although black is the most familiar traditional color. A tailcoat is not the same as a dinner jacket: the dinner jacket has a conventional front and no long tails. In contemporary conversation, the term may sound formal or historical, but it remains important in descriptions of ceremonial clothing, costume history, and etiquette. Its visual name accurately describes its most recognizable feature.
nounA man's formal coat with the front cut away and two long tails at the back, worn particularly at evening ceremonies and other white-tie occasions.
- A formal men's coat with long tails at the back, traditionally worn for evening dress and white-tie occasions.
"The conductor wore a black tailcoat with white gloves at the gala."
"He arrived at the formal reception wearing a tailcoat."
"The museum display showed how a tailcoat differed from the shorter dinner jacket of the period."
The plural adds -s; use tailcoats when referring to multiple tailcoats or different styles of tailcoat.
"The shop displays tailcoats from several historical periods."
A tailcoat turns the back of the garment into its most distinctive feature: two long tails that give the coat its name and signal traditional formal dress.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tailcoat come from?
Tailcoat is an English compound formed from tail and coat, referring to the garment's long sections at the back. Coat itself comes through Old French cote from a Germanic word associated with cloth or clothing. The compound developed as a name for a distinctive style of formal men's coat and was eventually associated particularly with evening and ceremonial dress.
Related word forms
How tailcoat is actually used
The term is relatively formal and somewhat old-fashioned in everyday reference, though it remains standard in descriptions of ceremonial and historical dress. It refers to a garment rather than the complete outfit and is distinct from a dinner jacket.
Easily confused with tailcoat
A dinner jacket is a formal men's jacket with a conventional front, whereas a tailcoat is cut away at the front and has long tails at the back.