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ulster

/ˈʌlstər/
IPA guide

Other forms: ulsters

An ulster is a long coat that was commonly worn in Victorian Britain. The overcoat that Sherlock Holmes usually wears in photos, movies, and TV shows is a good example of an ulster.

This long, sturdy coat often has an attached cape and a belt, although more modern versions tend to omit the cape. These days, you're most likely to get a glimpse of an ulster on a period drama, like the TV series Sherlock or a filmed version of a Charles Dickens novel. The ulster wasn't a dressy type of outerwear; it was meant for a working man. The word comes from the name of the Irish province, Ulster, where these coats were originally made.

Definitions of ulster
  1. noun
    loose long overcoat of heavy fabric; usually belted
    see moresee less
    type of:
    greatcoat, overcoat, topcoat
    a heavy coat worn over clothes in winter
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