black and tans

noun

Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, which was one of two paramilitary forces employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary from 1920 to 1921, to suppress revolution in Ireland.

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Meanings

black and tans1

noun
  1. pluralplural of black and tan

Black and Tans2

noun
  1. pluralplural onlyRoyal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, which was one of two paramilitary forces employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary from 1920 to 1921, to suppress revolution in Ireland.
  2. pluralrareplural of Black and Tan

Origin

From the colours of their uniforms.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

black and tans. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20and%20tans

MLA

“black and tans.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20and%20tans. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “black and tans,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20and%20tans.

Source: black and tans on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.