Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A pattern of dark lines forming squares on a light background.
  • noun Cloth woven or printed with this pattern.
  • adjective Having a pattern of dark lines forming squares on a light background.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A fabric pattern containing squares of dark lines on a light background

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[After Tattersall's, horse market, London, England, after Richard Tattersall, (1724–1795), British auctioneer.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word tattersall.

Examples

  • He teams hefty tweeds with tattersall, checks and plaids and brown suede shoes, sometimes with a bright sweater-vest.

    Roger Stone: StoneZone's 2011 Best and Worst Dressed Roger Stone 2012

  • Jim Cole/Associated Press Former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney went tieless when kicking off his candidacy on June 2 in Stratham, N.H. Giving an informal air to the formal announcement, he wore a roomy shirt in a tattersall pattern—a plaid first used in 18th-century British horse blankets.

    Campaign Casual 2011

  • Giving an informal air to the formal announcement, he wore a roomy shirt in a tattersall pattern—a plaid first used in 18th-century British horse blankets—with sleeves "rolled as if he had entered an impromptu hot-dog-eating contest," wrote Kurt Soller , Esquire's style editor.

    Candidates Figure What Voters Need From Them Is a Good Dressing Down Elizabeth Williamson 2011

  • He teams hefty tweeds with tattersall, checks and plaids and brown suede shoes, sometimes with a bright sweater-vest.

    Roger Stone: StoneZone's 2011 Best and Worst Dressed Roger Stone 2012

  • Gao dressed and acted like a Silicon Valley moneyman rather than one from Wall Street — open-necked tattersall shirt, muted plaid jacket, dark slacks, scuffed walking shoes.

    “Be Nice to the Countries That Lend You Money” 2008

  • Gao dressed and acted like a Silicon Valley moneyman rather than one from Wall Street — open-necked tattersall shirt, muted plaid jacket, dark slacks, scuffed walking shoes.

    “Be Nice to the Countries That Lend You Money” 2008

  • He may add a shirt with tattersall or windowpane checks and a striped tie, for example, to make the suit look "more interesting."

    Men in Patterns: Mixing Without Clashing 2010

  • Gao dressed and acted like a Silicon Valley moneyman rather than one from Wall Street — open-necked tattersall shirt, muted plaid jacket, dark slacks, scuffed walking shoes.

    “Be Nice to the Countries That Lend You Money” 2008

  • Gao dressed and acted like a Silicon Valley moneyman rather than one from Wall Street — open-necked tattersall shirt, muted plaid jacket, dark slacks, scuffed walking shoes.

    “Be Nice to the Countries That Lend You Money” 2008

  • He's relaxed, dressed Miami-style in slacks, a tattersall shirt and no tie.

    Republicans Must Be a National Party Fred Barnes 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.