tartan

«tartan» in Mova's school dictionary: a pattern of coloured stripes crossing each other at… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (a tartan, tartans; also uncountable); adjective (tartan)

meaning for a pupil

1) Tartan is a pattern of coloured stripes crossing each other at right angles, making squares; it is woven into woollen cloth, especially in Scotland. tree →

2) A tartan is one particular pattern belonging to a Scottish clan (family group), region or organisation. tree →

3) Tartan describes things made of this cloth: a tartan kilt, a tartan scarf. tree →

sense in the lessons

In geography and history lessons about Scotland, tartan is part of Highland culture: kilts, clans and bagpipes. Each clan, like MacDonald or Campbell, has its own tartan, and some countries and towns have one too. In maths and art, tartan is a fun way to study patterns, symmetry and right angles. Phrases: tartan kilt, clan tartan, the Tartan Army (Scotland's football fans), tartan rug.

examples

• He wore a tartan kilt at the wedding. tree →
• Every Scottish clan has its own tartan. tree →
• Grandma wrapped a tartan rug around her knees. tree →
• The tartan pattern has lines that cross at right angles. tree →
• Our class designed a new tartan for our school. tree →
• The Tartan Army sang loudly at the football match. tree →
• The shortbread tin was covered in red tartan. tree →
• Tartan was once banned in the Scottish Highlands for a time. tree →

note

Countable (many tartans, different patterns) or uncountable (a scarf made of tartan). Pronounced «TAR-tun». Americans often call the pattern «plaid»; in Scotland a «plaid» is actually a large piece of tartan cloth worn over the shoulder. Do not confuse with «tartar» (a crust on teeth, or tartare sauce).

In the corpora

• Some old fool's-errand jokes, like «tartan paint», are a harmless tradition when the person laughs in the end.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «tartan» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.