English [ edit ]
Etymology [ edit ]
A compound of turn + coat , reportedly derived from the sometime military practice of wearing uniform coats that were lined in material of a contrasting color, and which could be worn inside out to present a different appearance.
Pronunciation [ edit ]
turncoat (plural turncoats )
A traitor ; one who turns against a previous affiliation or allegiance .
Synonyms: apostate , defector , renegade
Alternative forms [ edit ]
Derived terms [ edit ]
Translations [ edit ]
traitor
Armenian: ռենեգատ (hy) ( ṙenegat ) , ուրացող (hy) ( uracʻoġ ) , դավաճան (hy) ( davačan ) , փախստակ (hy) ( pʻaxstak )
Bashkir: хыянатсы ( xıyanatsı ) , хаин ( xain ) , һатлыҡ ( hatlıq )
Belarusian: рэнэга́т m ( renehát ) , перабе́жчык m ( pjerabjéžčyk ) , здра́днiк m ( zdrádnik ) ( traitor )
Bulgarian: изменник (bg) m ( izmennik ) , ренегат (bg) ( renegat )
Catalan: trànsfuga m or f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 叛徒 (zh) ( pàntú )
Danish: vendekåbe c
Dutch: renegaat (nl) m , afvallige (nl) m , deserteur (nl) m , verrader (nl) m
Finnish: takinkääntäjä (fi)
French: renégat (fr) , apostat (fr) , traître (fr)
Galician: virachaquetas , chaqueteiro , defector , traidor , desertor
German: Überläufer (de) m , Überläuferin (de) f
Hungarian: köpönyegforgató (hu)
Irish: cat breac m
Italian: voltagabbana (it) m or f , pentito (it) m , traditore (it) m , giravolta (it) , banderuola (it)
Japanese: 裏切り者 (ja)
Macedonian: вртикапа m ( vrtikapa )
Norwegian: forræder (no) m . overløper m
Polish: zdrajca (pl)
Portuguese: vira-casaca m or f
Russian: ( literary ) ( contemptuous ) ренега́т (ru) m ( renegát ) , ( contemptuous ) перебе́жчик (ru) m ( perebéžčik ) , преда́тель (ru) m ( predátelʹ )
Spanish: tránsfuga (es) , rajeta (es) , veleta (es) , renegado (es) , chaquetero (es)
Swahili: popo (sw)
Swedish: kappvändare c , någon som vänder kappan efter vinden (sv) , överlöpare (sv)
Ukrainian: ренега́т m ( renehát ) , перебі́жчик m ( perebížčyk ) , пере́вертень m ( perévertenʹ ) , зра́дник m ( zrádnyk ) ( traitor )
Welsh: gwrthgiliwr m
turncoat (third-person singular simple present turncoats , present participle turncoating , simple past and past participle turncoated )
To act as a turncoat; to betray
Translations [ edit ]