Phrase guide

butcher's apron

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The Union Jack, as a symbol of oppressive British nationalism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Ireland, derogatory

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Alternative letter-case form of butcher's apron.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The apron worn in a traditional butcher's shop often has blue and white stripes and may acquire red bloodstains in the course of the work, thus bearing a passing resemblance to the red, white, and blue design of the Union Jack. Metaphorically, the pejorative allusion is to the bloodshed blamed on British imperialism.