redcap.

1. A malicious goblin in traditions of the Scottish border, represented as wearing a cap reddened with blood.

2. A porter at a railway station, especially in American usage, traditionally identified by a red cap.

3. A member of the British military police, informally named for distinctive red headwear.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• a redcap in the ruined tower
• border tales of redcaps

On the page

The border tale placed a redcap in the ruined watchtower.

Only after reading the account of redcaps did she recognize the figure’s hat.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror. Forms: Singular redcap; plural redcaps. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.