bluecoat

English
A boy in a bluecoat costume.

Etymology

blue +‎ coat

Noun

bluecoat (plural bluecoats)

  1. (British, often attributive) A pupil attending any of certain prestigious British schools having a traditional dress code.
    This was a bluecoat school in my day.
  2. (US history) A soldier or officer in the Union army during the American Civil War
    • 2009 January 18, Ralph Blumenthal, “Re-enactor Is Indicted in Shooting of a Yankee”, in New York Times‎:
      The shot wounded Thomas Lord, a 73-year-old former New York City police officer from Suffolk, Va., and a bluecoat with the Seventh New York Volunteer Cavalry.
  3. (dated) A policeman
    • 1900, Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie‎:
      "The offices are up those steps," said the bluecoat.

Synonyms

Translations
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