tail coat

noun

a man's fitted coat, cut away over the hips and descending in a pair of tapering skirts behind, usually black and worn as part of full evening dress.

Also, tailcoat.

Also called tails, dress coat, swallow-tailed coat.

Origin

1840-50

Examples from the web for tail coat

Full dress for evening remains un changed, except that the swallow-tail coat is shorter than it has lately been made.

British Dictionary definitions for tail coat

tail coat

noun

Also called tails. a man's black coat having a horizontal cut over the hips and a tapering tail with a vertical slit up to the waist: worn as part of full evening dress

Also called swallow-tailed coat another name for morning coat