tar ‧ tan /ˈtɑːtn $ ˈtɑːrtn/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: Probably from Old French tiretaine type of cloth ]
[uncountable and countable] a traditional Scottish pattern of coloured squares and crossed lines, or cloth, especially wool cloth, with this pattern SYN plaid American English :
the MacGregor tartan (=the special pattern worn by the MacGregor family)
—tartan adjective :
a tartan scarf