turncoat means A traitor; one who turns against a previous affiliation or allegiance. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 83 out of 100.
turncoat is pronounced /ˈtəːn.kəʊt/.
Why “turncoat” is a great word
A person who deserts one party or cause to join an opposing one, especially out of self-interest. A compound of 'turn' (in the Middle English sense of turning a garment inside out) and 'coat', reportedly from the practice of wearing a reversible coat to conceal one's allegiance; first attested in the 1550s. Unlike 'defector,' which implies a formal, often political, abandonment, or 'apostate,' which specifies a renunciation of religious faith, a turncoat is defined by personal treachery and opportunism. It is the muffled rustle of a coat reversed in a shadowed alley, the clammy touch of the inner lining worn as a public face, the bland smile that erases yesterday's fervent oath—a study in the cold mechanics of survival, where loyalty is merely the side of the fabric currently showing to the sun.
Etymology
A compound of turn + coat, reportedly derived from the sometime military practice of wearing uniform coats that were lined in material of a contrasting color, and which could be worn inside out to present a different appearance.
noun
- A traitor; one who turns against a previous affiliation or allegiance.“But some will cry Turncoat, and rip up old stories, / How I always pretended to be for the tories: […]”
verb
- To act as a turncoat; to betray