t ['tē] -n

  1. the 20th letter of the English alphabet
  2. a graphic representation of this letter
  3. a speech counterpart of orthographic t
  4. a graphic device for reproducing the letter t
  5. one designated tesp. as the 20th in order or class
  6. something shaped like the letter T
  7. t formation
  8. technical foul
  9. metric ton
  10. tablespoon
  11. teaspoon
  12. technical
  13. temperature
  14. in the time of
  15. tense
  16. tertiary
  17. time
  18. ton
  19. township
  20. transitive
  21. troy
  22. true

T -abbr

  1. tera-
  2. tesla
  3. thymine
  4. toddler
  5. tritium
  6. T-shirt

ta ['tä] -n

  1. thanks

Ta -symbol

  1. tantalum

TA -abbr

  1. teaching assistant
  2. transactional analysis

tab ['tab] -n

  1. : a short projecting device: as
  2. a small flap or loop by which something may be grasped or pulled
  3. a projection from a card used as an aid in filing
  4. a small insert, addition, or remnant
  5. appendage, extension
  6. one of a series of small pendants forming a decorative border or edge of a garment
  7. a small auxiliary airfoil hinged to a control surface (as a trailing edge) to help stabilize an airplane in flight
  8. close surveillance : watch
    • keep tab s on trends
  9. a creditor's statement : bill, check
  10. cost
    • the tab for the new program
  11. tabloid
  12. tablet
  13. a key on a keyboard esp. for arranging data in columns
  14. to furnish or ornament with tabs
  15. to single out : designate
  16. tabulate

ta·ba·nid [tə-'bā-nəd, -'ba-] -n

  1. horsefly

tab·ard ['ta-bərd also -,bärd] -n

  1. : a short loose-fitting sleeveless or short-sleeved coat or cape: as
  2. a tunic worn by a knight over his armor and emblazoned with his arms
  3. a herald's official cape or coat emblazoned with his lord's arms
  4. a woman's sleeveless outer garment often with side slits

Ta·bas·co [tə-'bas-(,)kō] -trademark

  1. used for a pungent condiment sauce made from hot peppers

tab·bou·leh [tə-'bü-lə, -lē] -n

  1. a salad of Lebanese origin consisting chiefly of cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, onions, lemon juice, and olive oil

tab·by ['ta-bē] -n

  1. a plain silk taffeta esp. with moire finish
  2. a plain-woven fabric
  3. a domestic cat with a striped and mottled coat
  4. a domestic cat
  5. a female cat

tabby -adj

  1. of, relating to, or made of tabby
    • a tabby vest
  2. striped and mottled with darker color : brindled
    • a tabby cat
  3. a cement made of lime, sand or gravel, and oyster shells and used chiefly along the coast of Georgia and So. Carolina in the 17th and 18th centuries

tab·er·na·cle ['ta-bər-,na-kəl] -n, adj

  1. a tent sanctuary used by the Israelites during the Exodus
  2. a dwelling place
  3. a temporary shelter : tent
  4. a receptacle for the consecrated elements of the Eucharist
  5. an ornamental locked box used for reserving the Communion hosts
  6. a house of worship
  7. a large building or tent used for evangelistic services

tabernacle [-,na-k(ə-)liŋ] -vi

  1. to take up temporary residence
  2. to inhabit a physical body

ta·bes ['tā-(,)bēz] -n, adj or n

  1. wasting accompanying a chronic disease

tabes dor·sa·lis [-dȯr-'sa-ləs, -'sā-, -'sä-] -n

  1. a syphilitic disorder of the nervous system marked by wasting, pain, limb weakness, ataxia, and disorders of sensation and vision resulting from degeneration of the spinal cord called also locomotor ataxia

ta·bla ['tä-blə] -n

  1. a pair of small different-sized hand drums used esp. in music of India

tab·la·ture ['ta-blə-,chu̇r, -chər, -,tyu̇r, -,tu̇r] -n

  1. an instrumental notation indicating the string, fret, key, or finger to be used instead of the tone to be sounded

ta·ble ['tā-bəl] -n

  1. tablet
  2. backgammon
  3. one of the two leaves of a backgammon board or either half of a leaf
  4. a piece of furniture consisting of a smooth flat slab fixed on legs
  5. a supply or source of food
  6. an act or instance of assembling to eat : meal
    • sit down to table
  7. a group of people assembled at or as if at a table
  8. a legislative or negotiating session
    • the bargaining table
  9. stringcourse
  10. a systematic arrangement of data usu. in rows and columns for ready reference
  11. a condensed enumeration : list
    • a table of contents
  12. : something that resembles a table esp. in having a plane surface: as
  13. the upper flat surface of a cut precious stone
  14. tableland
  15. a horizontal stratum

table [-b(ə-)liŋ] -vt

  1. to enter in a table
  2. to place on the agenda
  3. to remove (as a parliamentary motion) from consideration indefinitely
  4. to put on a table
  5. suitable for a table or for use at a table
    • a table lamp
  6. suitable for serving at a table
    • table grapes
  7. proper for conduct at a table
    • table manners

tab·leau ['ta-,blō, ta-'blō] -n

  1. a graphic description or representation : picture
    • winsome tableaux of old-fashioned literary days -- J. D. Hart
  2. a striking or artistic grouping : arrangement, scene
  3. a depiction of a scene usu. presented on a stage by silent and motionless costumed participants

tableau curtain -n

  1. a stage curtain that opens in the center and has its sections drawn upward as well as to the side

ta·ble·cloth ['tā-bəl-,klȯth] -n

  1. a covering spread over a dining table before the tableware is set

ta·ble d'hote [,tä-bəl-'dōt, ,ta-] -n

  1. a meal served to all guests at a stated hour and fixed price
  2. a complete meal of several courses offered at a fixed price

ta·ble·ful ['tā-bəl-,fu̇l] -n

  1. as much or as many as a table can hold or accommodate

ta·blehop ['tā-bəl-,häp] -vi, n

  1. to move from table to table (as in a restaurant) in order to chat with friends

ta·ble·land [-bə(l)-,land] -n

  1. a broad level elevated area : plateau

table linen -n

  1. linen (as tablecloths and napkins) for the table

ta·ble·mate ['tā-bəl-,māt] -n

  1. a dining companion

table of organization

  1. a table listing the number and duties of personnel and the major items of equipment authorized for a military unit

table salt -n

  1. salt suitable for use at the table and in cooking

table soccer -n

  1. foosball

ta·ble·spoon ['tā-bəl-,spün] -n

  1. a large spoon used esp. for serving
  2. a unit of measure used esp. in cookery equal to fluid ounce (15 milliliters)

ta·ble·spoon·ful [,tā-bəl-'spün-,fu̇l, 'tā-bəl-,] -n

  1. enough to fill a tablespoon
  2. tablespoon

table sugar -n

  1. sugar
  2. granulated white sugar

tab·let ['ta-blət] -n

  1. a flat slab or plaque suited for or bearing an inscription
  2. a thin slab or one of a set of portable sheets used for writing
  3. pad
  4. a compressed or molded block of a solid material
  5. a small mass of medicated material
    • an aspirin tablet
  6. graphics tablet

table talk -n

  1. informal conversation at or as if at a dining table
  2. the social talk of a celebrity recorded for publication

table tennis -n

  1. a game resembling tennis that is played on a tabletop with wooden paddles and a small hollow plastic ball

ta·ble·top ['tā-bəl-,täp] -n, adj

  1. the top of a table
  2. a photograph of small objects or a miniature scene arranged on a table

ta·ble·ware [-,wer] -n

  1. utensils (as of china, glass, or silver) for table use

table wine -n

  1. an unfortified wine containing not more than 14 percent alcohol by volume and usu. suitable for serving with food

tab·loid ['ta-,blȯid] -adj, n

  1. compressed or condensed into small scope
    • tabloid criticism
  2. of, relating to, or resembling tabloids
  3. featuring stories of violence, crime, or scandal presented in a sensational manner
    • tabloid television

tabloid -n

  1. digest, summary
  2. a newspaper that is about half the page size of an ordinary newspaper and that contains news in condensed form and much photographic matter

ta·boo [tə-'bü, ta-] -adj

  1. forbidden to profane use or contact because of what are held to be dangerous supernatural powers
  2. banned on grounds of morality or taste
    • the subject is taboo
  3. banned as constituting a risk
    • the area beyond is taboo, still alive with explosives -- Robert Leckie

taboo -n

  1. a prohibition against touching, saying, or doing something for fear of immediate harm from a supernatural force
  2. a prohibition imposed by social custom or as a protective measure
  3. belief in taboos
  4. to set apart as taboo esp. by marking with a ritualistic symbol
  5. to avoid or ban as taboo

ta·bor ['tā-bər] -n

  1. a small drum with one head of soft calfskin used to accompany a pipe or fife played by the same person

ta·bor·er [-bər-ər] -n

  1. one that plays on the tabor

tab·o·ret [,ta-bə-'ret, -'rā] -n

  1. a cylindrical seat or stool without arms or back
  2. a small portable stand or cabinet

tabouleh [tə-'bü-lə, -lē] -n

(variant of tabbouleh)

  1. a salad of Lebanese origin consisting chiefly of cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, onions, lemon juice, and olive oil

Ta·briz [tə-'brēz] -n

  1. a Persian rug usu. having a cotton warp, firm wool pile, and a medallion design

tab·u·lar ['ta-byə-lər] -adj

  1. having a flat surface : laminar
    • a tabular crystal
  2. of, relating to, or arranged in a table
  3. set up in rows and columns
  4. computed by means of a table

ta·bu·la ra·sa [,ta-byə-lə-'rä-zə, -sə] -n

  1. the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions
  2. something existing in its original pristine state

tab·u·late ['ta-byə-,lāt] -vt, n

  1. to put into tabular form
  2. to count, record, or list systematically

ta·bun ['tä-,bu̇n] -n

  1. an extremely toxic chemical warfare agent C 5H 11N 2O 2P similar to sarin in action

TAC -abbr

  1. Tactical Air Command

tac·a·ma·hac ['ta-kə-mə-,hak] -n

  1. balsam poplar

TACAN ['ta-,kan] -n

  1. a system of navigation that uses ultrahigh frequency signals to determine the distance and bearing of an aircraft from a transmitting station

ta·cet ['tä-,ket; 'tā-sət, 'ta-sət]

  1. used as a direction in music to indicate that an instrument is not to play during a movement or long section

tach ['tak] -n

  1. tachometer

tach·i·nid ['ta-kə-nəd, -,nid] -n, adj

  1. any of a family (Tachinidae) of bristly usu. grayish or black dipteran flies whose parasitic larvae are often used in the biological control of insect pests

tach·ism ['ta-,shi-zəm] -n, adj or n

  1. action painting

ta·chis·to·scope [tə-'kis-tə-,skōp, ta-] -n, adj, adv

  1. an apparatus for the brief exposure of visual stimuli that is used in the study of learning, attention, and perception

ta·chom·e·ter [ta-'kä-mə-tər, tə-] -n

  1. a device for indicating speed of rotation

tachy- -comb form

  1. rapid : accelerated
    • tachy cardia

tachy·ar·rhyth·mia [,ta-kē-ā-'rith-mē-ə] -n

  1. arrhythmia characterized by a rapid irregular heartbeat

tachy·car·dia [,ta-ki-'kär-dē-ə] -n

  1. relatively rapid heart action whether physiological (as after exercise) or pathological

tachy·on ['ta-kē-,än] -n

  1. a hypothetical particle held to travel only faster than light

tac·it ['ta-sət] -adj, adv, n

  1. expressed or carried on without words or speech
    • the blush was a tacit answer -- Bram Stoker
  2. implied or indicated (as by an act or by silence) but not actually expressed
    • tacit consent
    • tacit admission of guilt

tac·i·turn ['ta-sə-,tərn] -adj, n

  1. temperamentally disinclined to talk

tack ['tak] -vb, n

  1. attach
  2. to fasten or affix with tacks
  3. to join in a slight or hasty manner
  4. to add as a supplement
  5. to add (a rider) to a parliamentary bill
  6. to change the direction of (a sailing ship) when sailing close-hauled by turning the bow to the wind and shifting the sails so as to fall off on the other side at about the same angle as before
  7. to tack a sailing ship
  8. to change to an opposite tack by turning the bow to the wind
  9. to follow a course against the wind by a series of tacks
  10. to follow a zigzag course
  11. to modify one's policy or attitude abruptly
  12. a small short sharp-pointed nail usu. having a broad flat head
  13. the direction of a ship with respect to the trim of her sails
    • starboard tack
  14. the run of a sailing ship on one tack
  15. a change when close-hauled from the starboard to the port tack or vice versa
  16. a zigzag movement on land
  17. a course or method of action
  18. one sharply divergent from that previously followed
  19. any of various usu. temporary stitches
  20. the lower forward corner of a fore-and-aft sail
  21. a sticky or adhesive quality or condition
  22. hardtack
  23. stable gear
  24. articles of harness (as saddle and bridle) for use on a saddle horse

tack·board ['tak-,bȯrd] -n

  1. a board (as of cork) for tacking up notices and display materials

tack claw -n

  1. a small hand tool for removing tacks

tack·i·fy ['ta-kə-,fī] -vt, n

  1. to make (as a resin adhesive) tacky or more tacky

tack·i·ly ['ta-kə-lē] -adv

  1. in a tacky manner : so as to be tacky

tack·i·ness ['ta-kē-nəs] -n

  1. the quality or state of being tacky

tack·le ['ta-kəl, naut often 'tā-] -n

  1. a set of the equipment used in a particular activity : gear
    • fishing tackle
  2. a ship's rigging
  3. an assemblage of ropes and pulleys arranged to gain mechanical advantage for hoisting and pulling
  4. the act or an instance of tackling
  5. either of two offensive football players positioned on each side of the center and between guard and end
  6. either of two football players positioned on the inside of a defensive line

tackle [-k(ə-)liŋ] -vb, n

  1. to attach or secure with or as if with tackle
  2. to seize, take hold of, or grapple with esp. with the intention of stopping or subduing
  3. to seize and throw down or stop (an opposing player with the ball) in football
  4. to set about dealing with
    • tackle the problem
  5. to tackle an opposing player in football

tack·ling ['ta-kliŋ, naut often 'tā-] -n

  1. tackle, gear

tacky ['ta-kē] -adj

  1. somewhat sticky to the touch
    • tacky varnish
  2. characterized by tack : adhesive
  3. characterized by lack of good breeding
    • couldn't run around downtown...in a bikini, which was tacky -- Cyra McFadden
  4. shabby, seedy
    • a tacky town whose citrus groves were blighted by smoke -- Bryce Nelson
  5. : not having or exhibiting good taste: as
  6. marked by lack of style : dowdy
  7. marked by cheap showiness : gaudy
    • a tacky publicity stunt
    • a tacky outfit

ta·co ['tä-(,)kō] -n

  1. a usu. fried tortilla that is folded or rolled and stuffed with a mixture (as of seasoned meat, cheese, and lettuce)

tac·o·nite ['ta-kə-,nīt] -n

  1. a flintlike rock high enough in iron content to constitute a low-grade iron ore

tac·rine ['ta-,krēn] -n

  1. an anticholinesterase C 13H 14N 2used in the form of its hydrochloride esp. for the palliative treatment of cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease

tact ['takt] -n

  1. sensitive mental or aesthetic perception
    • converted the novel into a play with remarkable skill and tact
  2. a keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense

tact·ful ['takt-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. having or showing tact

tac·tic ['tak-tik] -n

  1. a device for accomplishing an end
  2. a method of employing forces in combat

tactic -adj

  1. of or relating to arrangement or order

tac·ti·cal ['tak-ti-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. : of or relating to combat tactics: as
  2. of or occurring at the battlefront
    • a tactical defense
    • a tactical first strike
  3. using or being weapons or forces employed at the battlefront
    • tactical missiles
  4. of, relating to, or designed for air attack in close support of friendly ground forces
  5. : of or relating to tactics: as
  6. of or relating to small-scale actions serving a larger purpose
  7. made or carried out with only a limited or immediate end in view
  8. adroit in planning or maneuvering to accomplish a purpose

tac·ti·cian [tak-'ti-shən] -n

  1. one versed in tactics

tac·tics ['tak-tiks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. the science and art of disposing and maneuvering forces in combat
  2. the art or skill of employing available means to accomplish an end
  3. a system or mode of procedure
  4. the study of the grammatical relations within a language including morphology and syntax

tac·tile ['tak-tᵊl, -,tī(-ə)l] -adj, adv

  1. perceptible by touch
  2. of, relating to, or being the sense of touch

tac·til·i·ty [tak-'ti-lə-tē] -n

  1. the capability of being felt or touched
  2. responsiveness to stimulation of the sense of touch

tac·tion ['tak-shən] -n

  1. touch

tact·less ['takt-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by lack of tact
    • tactless comments
    • tactless methods

tac·tu·al ['tak-chə-wəl, -chəl] -adj, adv

  1. tactile

tad ['tad] -n

  1. a small child
  2. boy
  3. a small or insignificant amount or degree : bit
    • might give him some water and a tad to eat -- C. T. Walker

tada [tä-'dä] -interj

  1. used as mock fanfare to call attention to something remarkable

tad·pole ['tad-,pōl] -n

  1. a larval amphibian
  2. a frog or toad larva that has a rounded body with a long tail bordered by fins and external gills soon replaced by internal gills and that undergoes a metamorphosis to the adult

tae·di·um vi·tae [,tē-dē-əm-'vī-,tē, ,tī-dē-əm-'wē-,tī] -n

  1. weariness or loathing of life

tae kwon do ['tī-'kwän-'dō] -n

  1. a Korean art of unarmed self-defense characterized esp. by the extensive use of kicks

tael ['tāl] -n

  1. any of various Chinese units of value based on the value of a tael weight of silver
  2. any of various units of weight of eastern Asia

tae·nia ['tē-nē-ə] -n

  1. a band on a Doric order separating the frieze from the architrave
  2. tapeworm
  3. an ancient Greek fillet

tae·ni·a·sis [tē-'nī-ə-səs] -n

  1. infestation with or disease caused by tapeworms

taf·fe·ta ['ta-fə-tə] -n

  1. a crisp plain-woven lustrous fabric of various fibers used esp. for women's clothing

taf·fe·tized ['ta-fə-,tīzd] -adj

  1. having a crisp finish

taff·rail ['taf-,rāl, -rəl] -n

  1. the upper part of the stern of a wooden ship
  2. a rail around the stern of a ship

taf·fy ['ta-fē] -n

  1. a boiled candy usu. of molasses or brown sugar that is pulled until porous and light-colored
  2. insincere flattery

tag ['tag] -n

  1. a loose hanging piece of cloth : tatter
  2. a metal or plastic binding on an end of a shoelace
  3. a piece of hanging or attached material
  4. a loop, knot, or tassel on a garment
  5. a brief quotation used for rhetorical emphasis or sententious effect
  6. a recurrent or characteristic verbal expression
  7. tagline
  8. a cardboard, plastic, or metal marker used for identification or classification
    • license tag s
  9. a descriptive or identifying epithet
  10. something used for identification or location : flag
  11. label
  12. price tag
  13. an element of code in a computer document used esp. to control format and layout or to establish a hyperlink
  14. a detached fragmentary piece : bit
  15. a graffito in the form of an identifying name or symbol
  16. : to provide or mark with or as if with a tag: as
  17. to supply with an identifying marker or price
    • was tagged at 4.95
  18. to provide with a name or epithet : label, brand
    • tagged him a has-been
  19. to put a ticket on (a motor vehicle) for a traffic violation
  20. to deface with a graffito usu. in the form of the defacer's nickname
  21. to attach as an addition : append
  22. to follow closely and persistently
  23. to hold to account
  24. to charge with violating the law
    • was tagged for...assault -- Burt Woolis
  25. label
  26. to keep close
    • tagging at their heels -- Corey Ford
  27. a game in which the player who is it chases others and tries to touch one of them who then becomes it
  28. an act or instance of tagging a runner in baseball
  29. to touch in or as if in a game of tag
  30. to put out (a runner) in baseball by a touch with the ball or the gloved hand containing the ball
  31. to hit solidly
  32. to choose usu. for a special purpose : select
  33. to make a hit or run off (a pitcher) in baseball
    • the batter tagged him for a home run

TAG -abbr

  1. the adjutant general

Ta·ga·log [tə-'gä-,lȯg] -n

  1. a member of a people of central Luzon
  2. an Austronesian language of the Tagalog people

tag·along ['ta-gə-,lȯŋ] -n

  1. one that persistently and often annoyingly follows the lead of another

tag along -vi

  1. to follow another's lead esp. in going from one place to another

tag·board ['tag-,bȯrd] -n

  1. strong cardboard used esp. for making shipping tags

tag end -n

  1. the last part
  2. a miscellaneous or random bit

tag·ger ['ta-gər] -n

  1. one that tags
  2. a person who marks surfaces with graffiti

ta·glia·tel·le [,täl-yä-'te-(,)lā] -n

  1. fettuccine

tagline ['tag-,līn] -n

  1. a final line (as in a play or joke)
  2. one that serves to clarify a point or create a dramatic effect
  3. a reiterated phrase identified with an individual, group, or product : slogan

tag question -n

  1. a question (as isn't itin it's fine, isn't it?) added to a statement or command (as to gain the assent of or challenge the person addressed)
  2. a sentence ending in a tag question

tag, rag, and bobtail [,tag-,rag-ən-'bäb-,tāl, -,rag-ᵊŋ-] -n

  1. rabble

tag sale -n

  1. garage sale

tag team -n

  1. a team of two or more professional wrestlers who spell each other during a match
  2. two or more people working in association toward the same goal usu. hyphenated when used attributively

tag up -vi

  1. to touch a base before running in baseball after a fly ball is caught

ta·hi·ni [tə-'hē-nē, tä-] -n

  1. a smooth paste of sesame seeds

Ta·hi·tian [tə-'hē-shən] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Tahiti
  2. the Polynesian language of the Tahitians

tahr ['tär] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Hemitragus) of wild Asian goats
  2. one ( H. jemlahicus) of the Himalayas having a reddish-brown to dark brown coat and a long shaggy mane

tah·sil [tä-'sēl] -n

  1. a district administration or revenue subdivision in India

Tai ['tī] -n

  1. a widespread group of peoples in southeast Asia associated ethnically with valley paddy-rice culture
  2. a family of languages including Thai and Shan spoken in southeast Asia and China

tai chi ['tī-'jē, 'tī-'chē] -n

  1. an ancient Chinese discipline of meditative movements practiced as a system of exercises called also tai chi chuan t'ai chi ch'uan -chu-an

tai·ga ['tī-gə] -n

  1. a moist subarctic forest dominated by conifers (as spruce and fir) that begins where the tundra ends

tail ['tāl] -n, adj

  1. the rear end or a process or prolongation of the rear end of the body of an animal
  2. : something resembling an animal's tail in shape or position: as
  3. a luminous stream of particles, gases, or ions extending from a comet esp. in the antisolar direction
  4. the rear part of an airplane consisting usu. of horizontal and vertical stabilizing surfaces with attached control surfaces
  5. retinue
  6. tailcoat
  7. full evening dress for men
  8. buttocks, butt
  9. sexual intercourse
  10. the back, last, lower, or inferior part of something
  11. tailing usu. used in pl.
  12. the reverse of a coin usu. used in pl.
    • tail s, I win
  13. one (as a detective) who follows or keeps watch on someone
  14. the blank space at the bottom of a page
  15. a location immediately or not far behind
    • had a posse on his tail
  16. to connect end to end
  17. to remove the tail of (an animal) : dock
  18. to remove the stem or bottom part of
    • topping and tail ing gooseberries
  19. to make or furnish with a tail
  20. to follow or be drawn behind like a tail
  21. to follow for purposes of surveillance
  22. to form or move in a straggling line
  23. to grow progressively smaller, fainter, or more scattered : abate usu. used with off
    • productivity is tail ing off -- Tom Nicholson
  24. to swing or lie with the stern in a named direction used of a ship at anchor
  25. tag
  26. entail
  27. limited as to tenure : entailed

tail·back ['tāl-,bak] -n

  1. the offensive football back farthest from the line of scrimmage
  2. a line of vehicles caused by a traffic slowdown or stoppage

tail·board [-,bȯrd] -n

  1. tailgate

tail·bone [-,bōn] -n

  1. a caudal vertebra
  2. coccyx

tail·coat [-,kōt] -n, adj

  1. a coat with tails
  2. a man's full-dress coat with two long tapering skirts at the back

tail covert -n

  1. one of the coverts of the tail quills

tail end -n

  1. buttocks, rump
  2. the hindmost end
  3. the concluding period
    • the tail end of the session

tail·end·er ['tāl-,en-dər] -n

  1. one positioned at the end or in last place
    • the tailender s in a race

tail fin -n

  1. the terminal fin of a fish or cetacean
  2. fin

tail·gate ['tāl-,gāt] -n

  1. a board or gate at the rear of a vehicle that can be removed or let down (as for loading)
  2. a jazz trombone style marked by much use of slides to and from long sustained tones

tailgate -vb, n

  1. to drive dangerously close behind another vehicle
  2. to hold a tailgate picnic
  3. to drive dangerously close behind
  4. relating to or being a picnic set up on the tailgate esp. of a station wagon

tail·ing ['tā-liŋ] -n

  1. residue separated in the preparation of various products (as grain or ores) usu. used in pl.
  2. the part of a projecting stone or brick inserted in a wall

taille ['tä-yə, 'tī-, 'tāl] -n

  1. a tax formerly levied by a French king or seigneur on his subjects or on lands held of him

tail·light ['tāl-,līt] -n

  1. a usu. red warning light mounted at the rear of a vehicle called also taillamp

tai·lor ['tā-lər] -n

  1. a person whose occupation is making or altering outer garments

tailor -vi

  1. to do the work of a tailor
  2. to make or fashion as the work of a tailor
  3. to make or adapt to suit a special need or purpose
  4. to fit with clothes
  5. to style with trim straight lines and finished handwork

tai·lor·bird ['tā-lər-,bərd] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Orthotomusof the family Sylviidae) of chiefly Asian warblers that stitch leaves together to support and hide their nests

tai·lored ['tā-lərd] -adj

  1. fashioned or fitted to resemble a tailor's work
  2. custom-made
  3. having the look of one fitted by a custom tailor

tai·lor·ing ['tā-lə-riŋ] -n

  1. the business or occupation of a tailor
  2. the work or workmanship of a tailor
  3. the making or adapting of something to suit a particular purpose

tai·lormade [,tā-lər-'mād] -adj

  1. made by a tailor or with a tailor's care and style
  2. made or fitted esp. to a particular use or purpose
  3. factory made rather than hand-rolled
    • tailormade cigarettes

tailormade -n

  1. one that is tailor-made
  2. a woman's garment styled for a trim fit and with stiff straight lines

tail·piece ['tāl-,pēs] -n

  1. a piece added at the end
  2. a device from which the strings of a stringed instrument are stretched to the pegs
  3. an ornament placed below the text matter of a page

tail·pipe [-,pīp] -n

  1. an outlet by which engine exhaust gases are expelled from a vehicle (as an automobile or jet aircraft)

tail·plane [-,plān] -n

  1. the horizontal tail surfaces of an airplane including the stabilizer and the elevator

tail·race ['tāl-,rās] -n

  1. a race for conveying water away from a point of industrial application (as a waterwheel or turbine) after use

tail·slide [-,slīd] -n

  1. an aerobatic maneuver in which an aircraft that has been pulled into a steep climb stalls and then loses altitude by dropping backward

tail·spin [-,spin] -n

  1. spin
  2. a mental or emotional letdown or collapse
  3. a sustained and usu. severe decline or downturn
    • stock prices in a tailspin

tail·wa·ter [-,wȯ-tər, -,wä-] -n

  1. water below a dam or waterpower development
  2. excess surface water draining esp. from a field under cultivation

tail·wind [-,wind] -n

  1. a wind having the same general direction as a course of movement (as of an aircraft)

Tai·no ['tī-(,)nō] -n

  1. the language of the Taino people
  2. a member of an aboriginal Arawakan people of the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas

taint ['tānt] -vb

  1. to contaminate morally : corrupt
    • scholarship taint ed by envy
  2. to affect with putrefaction : spoil
  3. to touch or affect slightly with something bad
    • persons taint ed with prejudice
  4. to become weak
  5. to become affected with putrefaction : spoil
  6. a contaminating mark or influence
    • the taint of scandal

tai·pan ['tī-,pan, 'tī-'pän] -n

  1. a powerful businessman and esp. formerly a foreigner living and operating in Hong Kong or China
  2. an exceedingly venomous elapid snake ( Oxyuranus scutellatus) of northern Australia and New Guinea
  3. a related snake ( O. microlepidotus)

Ta·jik [tä-'jik, tə-, -'jēk] -n

  1. a member of a Persian-speaking ethnic group living in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and adjacent areas of central Asia
  2. the form of Persian spoken by the Tajiks

ta·ka·he [tä-'kä-(,)hā] -n

  1. a flightless bird ( Porphyrio mantellisyn. Notornis mantelli) of the rail family that occurs in New Zealand

take ['tāk] -vb, n

  1. : to get into one's hands or into one's possession, power, or control: as
  2. to seize or capture physically
    • took them as prisoners
  3. to get possession of (as fish or game) by killing or capturing
  4. to move against (as an opponent's piece in chess) and remove from play
  5. to win in a card game
    • able to take 12 tricks
  6. to acquire by eminent domain
  7. grasp, grip
    • take the ax by the handle
  8. to catch or attack through the effect of a sudden force or influence
    • taken with a fit of laughing
    • taken ill
  9. to catch or come upon in a particular situation or action
    • was taken unawares
  10. to gain the approval or liking of : captivate, delight
    • was quite taken with her at their first meeting
  11. to receive into one's body (as by swallowing, drinking, or inhaling)
    • take a pill
  12. to put oneself into (as sun, air, or water) for pleasure or physical benefit
  13. to partake of : eat
    • take s dinner about seven
  14. to bring or receive into a relation or connection
    • take s just four students a year
    • it's time he took a wife
  15. to copulate with
  16. : to transfer into one's own keeping:
  17. appropriate
    • someone took my hat
  18. to obtain or secure for use (as by lease, subscription, or purchase)
    • take a cottage for the summer
    • I'll take the red one
    • took an ad in the paper
  19. assume
    • gods often took the likeness of a human being
    • when the college took its present form
  20. to enter into or undertake the duties of
    • take a job
    • take office
  21. to move onto or into : move into position on
    • the home team took the field
    • take the witness stand
  22. to bind oneself by
    • take the oath of office
  23. to make (a decision) esp. with finality or authority
  24. to impose upon oneself
    • take the trouble to do good work
    • take pains to make her feel welcome
  25. to adopt as one's own
    • take a stand on the issue
    • take an interest
  26. to align or ally oneself with
    • mother took his side
  27. to assume as if rightfully one's own or as if granted
    • take the credit
  28. to accept the burden or consequences of
    • took the blame
  29. to have or assume as a proper part of or accompaniment to itself
    • transitive verbs take an object
  30. to secure by winning in competition
    • took first place
  31. defeat
  32. to pick out : choose, select
    • took the best apple
  33. : to adopt, choose, or avail oneself of for use: as
  34. to have recourse to as an instrument for doing something
    • take a scythe to the weeds
  35. to use as a means of transportation or progression
    • take the bus
  36. to have recourse to for safety or refuge
    • take shelter
  37. to go along, into, or through
    • took a different route
  38. to proceed to occupy
    • take a seat in the rear
  39. to use up (as space or time)
    • take s a long time to dry
  40. need, require
    • take s a size nine shoe
    • it take s two to start a fight
  41. to obtain by deriving from a source : draw
    • take s its title from the name of the hero
  42. to obtain as the result of a special procedure : ascertain
    • take the temperature
    • take a census
  43. to get in or as if in writing
    • take notes
    • take an inventory
  44. to get by drawing or painting or by photography
    • take a snapshot
  45. to get by transference from one surface to another
    • take a proof
    • take fingerprints
  46. : to receive or accept whether willingly or reluctantly
    • take a bribe
    • will you take this call
    • take a bet
    : as
  47. to submit to : endure
    • take a cut in pay
  48. withstand
    • it will take a lot of punishment
  49. suffer
    • took a direct hit
  50. to accept as true : believe
    • I'll take your word for it
  51. follow
    • take my advice
  52. to accept or regard with the mind in a specified way
    • took the news hard
    • you take yourself too seriously
  53. to indulge in and enjoy
    • was taking his ease on the porch
  54. to receive or accept as a return (as in payment, compensation, or reparation)
    • we don't take credit cards
  55. to accept in a usu. professional relationship often used with on
    • agreed to take him on as a client
  56. to refrain from hitting at (a pitched ball)
    • take a strike
  57. to let in : admit
    • the boat was taking water fast
  58. accommodate
    • the suitcase wouldn't take another thing
  59. to be affected injuriously by (as a disease) : contract
    • take cold
  60. to be seized by
    • take a fit
    • take fright
  61. to absorb or become impregnated with (as dye)
  62. to be effectively treated by
    • a surface that take s a fine polish
  63. apprehend, understand
    • how should I take your remark
  64. consider, suppose
    • I take it you're not going
  65. reckon, accept
    • taking a stride at 30 inches
  66. feel, experience
    • take pleasure
    • take an instant dislike to someone
    • take offense
  67. to lead, carry, or cause to go along to another place
    • this bus will take you into town
    • took an umbrella with her
  68. to cause to move to a specified state, condition, or sphere of activity
    • took the company public
    • took his team to the finals
  69. to stop prescribing a specified regimen to used with off
    • took him off the medication
  70. remove
    • take eggs from a nest
  71. to put an end to (life)
  72. to remove by death
    • was taken in his prime
  73. subtract
    • take two from four
  74. exact
    • the weather took its toll
  75. to undertake and make, do, or perform
    • take a walk
    • take aim
    • take legal action
    • take a test
    • take a look
  76. to participate in
    • take a meeting
  77. to deal with
    • take first things first
  78. to consider or view in a particular relation
    • taken together, the details were significant
  79. to consider as an example
    • take style, for instance
  80. to apply oneself to the study of
    • take music lessons
    • take French
  81. to study for esp. successfully
    • taking a degree in engineering
    • took holy orders
  82. to obtain money from esp. fraudulently
    • took me for all I had
  83. to pass or attempt to pass through, along, or over
    • took the curve too fast
    • take the stairs two at a time
  84. : to obtain possession: as
  85. capture
  86. to receive property under law as one's own
  87. to lay hold : catch, hold
  88. to establish a take esp. by uniting or growing
    • 90 percent of the grafts take
  89. to betake oneself : set out : go
    • take after a purse snatcher
  90. used as an intensifier or redundantly with a following verb
    • took and swung at the ball
  91. to take effect : act, operate
    • hoped the lesson he taught would take
  92. to show the natural or intended effect
    • dry fuel take s readily
  93. charm, captivate
    • a taking smile
  94. detract
  95. to be seized or attacked in a specified way : become
    • took sick
  96. : something that is taken:
  97. the amount of money received : proceeds, receipts, income
  98. share, cut
    • wanted a bigger take
  99. the number or quantity (as of animals, fish, or pelts) taken at one time : catch, haul
  100. a section or installment done as a unit or at one time
  101. a scene filmed or televised at one time without stopping the camera
  102. a sound recording made during a single recording period
  103. a trial recording
  104. : an act or the action of taking: as
  105. the action of killing, capturing, or catching (as game or fish)
  106. the uninterrupted photographing or televising of a scene
  107. the making of a sound recording
  108. a local or systemic reaction indicative of successful vaccination (as against smallpox)
  109. a successful union (as of a graft)
  110. a visible response or reaction (as to something unexpected)
    • a delayed take
  111. a distinct or personal point of view, outlook, or assessment
    • was asked for her take on recent developments
  112. a distinct treatment or variation
    • a new take on an old style

take·away ['tāk-ə-,wā] -n, adj

  1. the first movement of the backswing in golf
  2. takeout
  3. an act or instance of taking possession of the ball or puck from an opposing team

take back -vt

  1. to make a retraction of : withdraw

takecharge ['tāk-'chärj] -adj

  1. having the qualities of a forceful leader
    • a takecharge executive

take·down ['tāk-,dau̇n] -n

  1. the action or an act of taking down
  2. something (as a rifle) having takedown construction
  3. constructed so as to be readily taken apart
    • a takedown rifle

take down -vt

  1. to lower without removing
    • took down his pants
  2. to pull to pieces
    • take down a building
  3. disassemble
    • take a rifle down
  4. to lower the spirit or vanity of
  5. to write down
    • took down some notes
  6. to record by mechanical means
  7. to become seized or attacked esp. by illness

takehome pay ['tāk-,hōm-] -n

  1. income remaining from salary or wages after deductions (as for income-tax withholding)

takein ['tā-,kin] -n

  1. an act of taking in esp. by deceiving

take in -vt

  1. : to draw into a smaller compass
    • take in the slack of a line
    :
  2. furl
  3. to make (a garment) smaller by enlarging seams or tucks
  4. to receive as a guest or lodger
  5. to give shelter to
  6. to take to a police station as a prisoner
  7. to receive as payment or proceeds
  8. to receive (work) into one's house to be done for pay
    • take in washing
  9. to encompass within its limits
  10. to include in an itinerary
  11. attend
    • take in a movie
  12. to receive into the mind : perceive
    • took in the view
  13. deceive, dupe

taken ['tāk] -vb, n

(variant of take)

  1. : to get into one's hands or into one's possession, power, or control: as
  2. to seize or capture physically
    • took them as prisoners
  3. to get possession of (as fish or game) by killing or capturing
  4. to move against (as an opponent's piece in chess) and remove from play
  5. to win in a card game
    • able to take 12 tricks
  6. to acquire by eminent domain
  7. grasp, grip
    • take the ax by the handle
  8. to catch or attack through the effect of a sudden force or influence
    • taken with a fit of laughing
    • taken ill
  9. to catch or come upon in a particular situation or action
    • was taken unawares
  10. to gain the approval or liking of : captivate, delight
    • was quite taken with her at their first meeting
  11. to receive into one's body (as by swallowing, drinking, or inhaling)
    • take a pill
  12. to put oneself into (as sun, air, or water) for pleasure or physical benefit
  13. to partake of : eat
    • take s dinner about seven
  14. to bring or receive into a relation or connection
    • take s just four students a year
    • it's time he took a wife
  15. to copulate with
  16. : to transfer into one's own keeping:
  17. appropriate
    • someone took my hat
  18. to obtain or secure for use (as by lease, subscription, or purchase)
    • take a cottage for the summer
    • I'll take the red one
    • took an ad in the paper
  19. assume
    • gods often took the likeness of a human being
    • when the college took its present form
  20. to enter into or undertake the duties of
    • take a job
    • take office
  21. to move onto or into : move into position on
    • the home team took the field
    • take the witness stand
  22. to bind oneself by
    • take the oath of office
  23. to make (a decision) esp. with finality or authority
  24. to impose upon oneself
    • take the trouble to do good work
    • take pains to make her feel welcome
  25. to adopt as one's own
    • take a stand on the issue
    • take an interest
  26. to align or ally oneself with
    • mother took his side
  27. to assume as if rightfully one's own or as if granted
    • take the credit
  28. to accept the burden or consequences of
    • took the blame
  29. to have or assume as a proper part of or accompaniment to itself
    • transitive verbs take an object
  30. to secure by winning in competition
    • took first place
  31. defeat
  32. to pick out : choose, select
    • took the best apple
  33. : to adopt, choose, or avail oneself of for use: as
  34. to have recourse to as an instrument for doing something
    • take a scythe to the weeds
  35. to use as a means of transportation or progression
    • take the bus
  36. to have recourse to for safety or refuge
    • take shelter
  37. to go along, into, or through
    • took a different route
  38. to proceed to occupy
    • take a seat in the rear
  39. to use up (as space or time)
    • take s a long time to dry
  40. need, require
    • take s a size nine shoe
    • it take s two to start a fight
  41. to obtain by deriving from a source : draw
    • take s its title from the name of the hero
  42. to obtain as the result of a special procedure : ascertain
    • take the temperature
    • take a census
  43. to get in or as if in writing
    • take notes
    • take an inventory
  44. to get by drawing or painting or by photography
    • take a snapshot
  45. to get by transference from one surface to another
    • take a proof
    • take fingerprints
  46. : to receive or accept whether willingly or reluctantly
    • take a bribe
    • will you take this call
    • take a bet
    : as
  47. to submit to : endure
    • take a cut in pay
  48. withstand
    • it will take a lot of punishment
  49. suffer
    • took a direct hit
  50. to accept as true : believe
    • I'll take your word for it
  51. follow
    • take my advice
  52. to accept or regard with the mind in a specified way
    • took the news hard
    • you take yourself too seriously
  53. to indulge in and enjoy
    • was taking his ease on the porch
  54. to receive or accept as a return (as in payment, compensation, or reparation)
    • we don't take credit cards
  55. to accept in a usu. professional relationship often used with on
    • agreed to take him on as a client
  56. to refrain from hitting at (a pitched ball)
    • take a strike
  57. to let in : admit
    • the boat was taking water fast
  58. accommodate
    • the suitcase wouldn't take another thing
  59. to be affected injuriously by (as a disease) : contract
    • take cold
  60. to be seized by
    • take a fit
    • take fright
  61. to absorb or become impregnated with (as dye)
  62. to be effectively treated by
    • a surface that take s a fine polish
  63. apprehend, understand
    • how should I take your remark
  64. consider, suppose
    • I take it you're not going
  65. reckon, accept
    • taking a stride at 30 inches
  66. feel, experience
    • take pleasure
    • take an instant dislike to someone
    • take offense
  67. to lead, carry, or cause to go along to another place
    • this bus will take you into town
    • took an umbrella with her
  68. to cause to move to a specified state, condition, or sphere of activity
    • took the company public
    • took his team to the finals
  69. to stop prescribing a specified regimen to used with off
    • took him off the medication
  70. remove
    • take eggs from a nest
  71. to put an end to (life)
  72. to remove by death
    • was taken in his prime
  73. subtract
    • take two from four
  74. exact
    • the weather took its toll
  75. to undertake and make, do, or perform
    • take a walk
    • take aim
    • take legal action
    • take a test
    • take a look
  76. to participate in
    • take a meeting
  77. to deal with
    • take first things first
  78. to consider or view in a particular relation
    • taken together, the details were significant
  79. to consider as an example
    • take style, for instance
  80. to apply oneself to the study of
    • take music lessons
    • take French
  81. to study for esp. successfully
    • taking a degree in engineering
    • took holy orders
  82. to obtain money from esp. fraudulently
    • took me for all I had
  83. to pass or attempt to pass through, along, or over
    • took the curve too fast
    • take the stairs two at a time
  84. : to obtain possession: as
  85. capture
  86. to receive property under law as one's own
  87. to lay hold : catch, hold
  88. to establish a take esp. by uniting or growing
    • 90 percent of the grafts take
  89. to betake oneself : set out : go
    • take after a purse snatcher
  90. used as an intensifier or redundantly with a following verb
    • took and swung at the ball
  91. to take effect : act, operate
    • hoped the lesson he taught would take
  92. to show the natural or intended effect
    • dry fuel take s readily
  93. charm, captivate
    • a taking smile
  94. detract
  95. to be seized or attacked in a specified way : become
    • took sick
  96. : something that is taken:
  97. the amount of money received : proceeds, receipts, income
  98. share, cut
    • wanted a bigger take
  99. the number or quantity (as of animals, fish, or pelts) taken at one time : catch, haul
  100. a section or installment done as a unit or at one time
  101. a scene filmed or televised at one time without stopping the camera
  102. a sound recording made during a single recording period
  103. a trial recording
  104. : an act or the action of taking: as
  105. the action of killing, capturing, or catching (as game or fish)
  106. the uninterrupted photographing or televising of a scene
  107. the making of a sound recording
  108. a local or systemic reaction indicative of successful vaccination (as against smallpox)
  109. a successful union (as of a graft)
  110. a visible response or reaction (as to something unexpected)
    • a delayed take
  111. a distinct or personal point of view, outlook, or assessment
    • was asked for her take on recent developments
  112. a distinct treatment or variation
    • a new take on an old style

takenoprisoners -adj

  1. having a fierce, relentless, or merciless character
    • takenoprisoners politics

take·off ['tāk-,ȯf] -n

  1. an imitation esp. in the way of caricature
  2. a spot at which one takes off
  3. a starting point : point of departure
  4. a rise or leap from a surface in making a jump or flight or an ascent in an aircraft or in the launching of a rocket
  5. an action of starting out
  6. a rapid rise in activity, growth, or popularity
    • an economic takeoff
  7. an action of removing something
  8. a mechanism for transmission of the power of an engine or vehicle to operate some other mechanism

take off -vt

  1. remove
    • take your shoes off
  2. release
    • take the brake off
  3. discontinue, withdraw
    • took off the morning train
  4. to take or allow as a discount : deduct
    • took 10 percent off
  5. to spend (a period of time) away from a usual occupation or activity
    • took two weeks off
  6. rob
  7. to take away : detract
  8. to start off or away often suddenly : set out, depart
    • took off for her trip
  9. to branch off (as from a main stream or stem)
  10. to take a point of origin
  11. to begin a leap or spring
  12. to leave the surface : begin flight
  13. to embark on rapid activity, development, or growth
  14. to spring into wide use or popularity

take on -vt

  1. to begin to perform or deal with : undertake
    • took on new responsibilities
  2. to contend with as an opponent
    • took on the neighborhood bully
  3. engage, hire
  4. to assume or acquire as or as if one's own
    • the city's plaza takes on a carnival air -- W. T. LeViness
  5. to have as a mathematical domain or range
    • what values does the function take on
  6. to show one's feelings esp. of grief or anger in a demonstrative way
    • she cried, and took on like a distracted body -- Daniel Defoe

take·out ['tāk-,au̇t] -n

  1. the action or an act of taking out
  2. something taken out or prepared to be taken out
  3. an article (as in a newspaper) printed on consecutive pages so as to be conveniently removed
  4. an intensive study or report
  5. prepared food packaged to be consumed away from its place of sale
  6. an establishment selling takeout

takeout ['tāk-,au̇t] -adj

  1. of, relating to, selling, or being food not to be consumed on the premises
    • takeout counter
    • a takeout supper

take out -vt

  1. deduct, separate
  2. exclude, omit
  3. withdraw, withhold
  4. to find release for : vent
    • take out their resentments on one another -- J. W. Aldridge
  5. eliminate
  6. kill, destroy
  7. knock out
  8. to take as an equivalent in another form
    • took the debt out in trade
  9. to obtain from the proper authority
    • take out a charter
    • take out a second mortgage
  10. to arrange for (insurance)
  11. to overcall (a bridge partner) in a different suit
  12. to start on a course : set out

takeout double -n

  1. a double made in bridge to convey information to and request a bid from one's partner

take·over ['tāk-,ō-vər] -n

  1. the action or an act of taking over

take over -vt

  1. to assume control or possession of or responsibility for
    • military leaders took over the government
  2. to assume control or possession
  3. to become dominant

takeup ['tāk-,əp] -n

  1. the action of taking up

take up -vt

  1. pick up, lift
    • took up the carpet
  2. to begin to occupy (land)
  3. to gather from a number of sources
    • took up a collection
  4. to accept or adopt for the purpose of assisting
  5. to accept or adopt as one's own
    • took up the life of a farmer
  6. to absorb or incorporate into itself
    • plants taking up nutrients
  7. to enter upon (as a business, hobby, or subject of study)
    • take up skiing
    • took up the trumpet
  8. to proceed to consider or deal with
    • take up one problem at a time
  9. to establish oneself in
    • took up residence in town
  10. to occupy entirely or exclusively : fill up
    • the meeting was taken up with old business
  11. to make tighter or shorter
    • take up the slack
  12. to respond favorably to (as a person offering a bet, challenge, or proposal)
    • took me up on it
  13. to begin again or take over from another
    • we must take the good work up again
  14. to make a beginning where another has left off
  15. to become shortened : draw together : shrink

ta·kin ['tä-,kēn] -n

  1. a large heavily built bovid ( Budorcas taxicolor) of Tibet and adjacent areas of Asia that is related to the goats and the musk ox and that has horns in both sexes arising near the midline of the head and sweeping abruptly outward and then backward and upward

tak·ings ['tā-kiŋz] -n pl

  1. receipts esp. of money

ta·la ['tä-lə] -n

  1. one of the ancient traditional rhythmic patterns of South Asian music

Tal·bot ['tȯl-bət, 'tal-] -n

  1. a large heavy mostly white hound with pendulous ears and drooping flews held to be ancestral to the bloodhound

talc ['talk] -n, adj

  1. a very soft mineral that is a basic silicate of magnesium, has a soapy feel, and is used esp. in making talcum powder
  2. talcum powder

tal·cum powder ['tal-kəm-] -n

  1. powdered talc
  2. a toilet powder composed of perfumed talc or talc and a mild antiseptic

tale ['tāl] -n

  1. discourse, talk
  2. a series of events or facts told or presented : account
  3. a report of a private or confidential matter
    • dead men tell no tale s
  4. a libelous report or piece of gossip
  5. a usu. imaginative narrative of an event : story
  6. an intentionally untrue report : falsehood
    • always preferred the tale to the truth -- Sir Winston Churchill
  7. count, tally
  8. total

tale·bear·er [-,ber-ər] -n, adj or n

  1. one that spreads gossip or rumors
  2. tattletale

ta·leg·gio [tä-'le-j(ē-)ō] -n

  1. a creamy cheese made from the whole milk of cows

tal·ent ['ta-lənt] -n, adj

  1. any of several ancient units of weight
  2. a unit of value equal to the value of a talent of gold or silver
  3. a characteristic feature, aptitude, or disposition of a person or animal
  4. the natural endowments of a person
  5. a special often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude
  6. general intelligence or mental power : ability
  7. a person of talent or a group of persons of talent in a field or activity

talent scout -n

  1. a person engaged in discovering and recruiting people of talent for a specialized field or activity

talent show -n

  1. a show consisting of a series of individual performances (as singing) by amateurs who may be selected for special recognition as performing talent

ta·ler ['tä-lər] -n

  1. any of numerous silver coins issued by various German states from the 15th to the 19th centuries

tales·man ['tālz-mən, 'tā-lēz-] -n

  1. a person added to a jury usu. from among bystanders to make up a deficiency in the available number of jurors
  2. a member of a large pool of persons called for jury duty from which jurors are selected

taletell·er ['tāl-,te-lər] -n, adj or n

  1. one who tells tales or stories
  2. talebearer

tali ['tā-ləs, 'ta-] -n

(variant of talus)

  1. a slope formed esp. by an accumulation of rock debris
  2. rock debris at the base of a cliff
  3. the human tarsal bone that bears the weight of the body and that together with the tibia and fibula forms the ankle joint
  4. the entire ankle

Tal·i·ban ['tä-li-bän, 'ta-li-,ban] -n pl

  1. a fundamentalist Islamic militia in Afghanistan

tali·pes ['ta-lə-,pēz] -n

  1. clubfoot

tal·is·man ['ta-ləs-mən, -ləz-] -n, adj, adv

  1. an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune
  2. something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects

talk ['tȯk] -vb, n

  1. to deliver or express in speech : utter
  2. to make the subject of conversation or discourse : discuss
    • talk business
  3. to influence, affect, or cause by talking
    • talk ed them into going
  4. to use (a language) for conversing or communicating : speak
  5. to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken words
  6. to convey information or communicate in any way (as with signs or sounds)
    • can make a trumpet talk
    • make the computer talk to the printer
  7. to use speech : speak
  8. to speak idly : prate
  9. gossip
  10. to reveal secret or confidential information
  11. to give a talk : lecture
  12. the act or an instance of talking : speech
  13. a way of speaking : language
  14. pointless or fruitless discussion : verbiage
  15. a formal discussion, negotiation, or exchange of views often used in pl.
  16. mention, report
  17. rumor, gossip
  18. the topic of interested comment, conversation, or gossip
    • it's the talk of the town
  19. address, lecture
  20. written analysis or discussion presented in an informal or conversational manner
  21. communicative sounds or signs resembling or functioning as talk
    • bird talk

talk·a·thon ['tȯ-kə-,thän] -n

  1. a long session of discussion or speech-making

talk·a·tive ['tȯ-kə-tiv] -adj, adv, n

  1. given to talking
  2. full of talk

talk down -vi

  1. to speak in a condescending or oversimplified fashion
  2. to disparage or belittle by talking

talk·ie ['tȯ-kē] -n

  1. a motion picture with a synchronized sound track

talking book -n

  1. audiobook

talking head -n

  1. the televised head and shoulders shot of a person talking
  2. a television personality who appears in such shots

talking machine -n

  1. an early phonograph

talking point -n

  1. something that lends support to an argument
  2. a subject of discussion

talk·ingto ['tȯ-kiŋ-,tü] -n

  1. reprimand, lecture

talk out -vt

  1. to clarify or settle by oral discussion

talk over -vt

  1. to review or consider in conversation : discuss

talk radio -n

  1. radio programming consisting of call-in shows

talk show -n

  1. a radio or television program in which usu. well-known persons engage in discussions or are interviewed

talk therapy -n

  1. psychotherapy emphasizing conversation between therapist and patient

talk up -vt

  1. to discuss favorably : advocate, promote
    • talk up the new product
  2. to speak up plainly or directly

talky ['tȯ-kē] -adj, n

  1. talkative
  2. containing too much talk

tall ['tȯl] -adj, adv, n

  1. brave, courageous
  2. high in stature
  3. of a specified height
    • five feet tall
  4. of considerable height
    • tall trees
  5. long from bottom to top
    • a tall book
  6. of a higher growing variety or species of plant
  7. large or formidable in amount, extent, or degree
    • a tall order to fill
  8. pompous, high-flown
    • tall talk about the vast mysteries of life -- W. A. White
  9. highly exaggerated : incredible, improbable
    • a tall story

tal·lage ['ta-lij] -n

  1. an impost or due levied by a lord upon his tenants

tall·boy ['tȯl-,bȯi] -n

  1. highboy
  2. a double chest of drawers usu. with the upper section slightly smaller than the lower
  3. clothespress

tall fescue -n

  1. a European fescue ( Festuca elatiorsyn. F. arundinacea) with erect smooth stems three to four feet (about one meter) high that has been introduced into No. America called also tall fescue grass

tall·grass prairie ['tȯl-,gras-] -n

  1. prairie

tal·lith ['tä-ləs, 'ta-, -lət, -ləth] -n

  1. a shawl with fringed corners worn over the head or shoulders by Jewish men esp. during morning prayers

tall oil ['täl-, 'tȯl-] -n

  1. a resinous by-product from the manufacture of chemical wood pulp used esp. in making soaps, coatings, and oils

tal·low ['ta-(,)lō] -n, adj

  1. the white nearly tasteless solid rendered fat of cattle and sheep used chiefly in soap, candles, and lubricants

tallow -vt

  1. to grease or smear with tallow

tall ship -n

  1. a sailing vessel with at least two masts
  2. square-rigger

tal·ly ['ta-lē] -n

  1. a device (as a notched rod or mechanical counter) for visibly recording or accounting esp. business transactions
  2. a recorded reckoning or account (as of items or charges)
    • keep a daily tally of accidents
  3. a score or point made (as in a game)
  4. a part that corresponds to an opposite or companion member : complement
  5. a state of correspondence or agreement

tally -vb

  1. to record on or as if on a tally : tabulate
  2. to list or check off (as a cargo) by items
  3. to register (as a score) in a contest
  4. to make a count of : reckon
  5. to cause to correspond
  6. to make a tally by or as if by tabulating
  7. to register a point in a contest : score
  8. correspond, match

tal·ly·ho [,ta-lē-'hō] -n

  1. a call of a huntsman at sight of the fox
  2. a four-in-hand coach

tal·ly·man ['ta-lē-mən, -,man] -n

  1. one who sells goods on the installment plan
  2. one who tallies, checks, or keeps an account or record (as of receipt of goods)

Tal·mud ['täl-,mu̇d, 'tal-məd] -n, adj

  1. the authoritative body of Jewish tradition comprising the Mishnah and Gemara

Tal·mud·ist ['täl-,mu̇-dist, 'tal-, -mə-] -n

  1. a specialist in Talmudic studies

tal·on ['ta-lən] -n, adj

  1. the claw of an animal and esp. of a bird of prey
  2. a finger or hand of a human being
  3. : a part or object shaped like or suggestive of a heel or claw: as
  4. an ogee molding
  5. the shoulder of the bolt of a lock on which the key acts to shoot the bolt
  6. cards laid aside in a pile in solitaire
  7. stock

ta·lus ['tā-ləs, 'ta-] -n

  1. a slope formed esp. by an accumulation of rock debris
  2. rock debris at the base of a cliff
  3. the human tarsal bone that bears the weight of the body and that together with the tibia and fibula forms the ankle joint
  4. the entire ankle

tam ['tam] -n

  1. tam-o'-shanter

ta·ma·le [tə-'mä-lē] -n

  1. cornmeal dough rolled with ground meat or beans seasoned usu. with chili, wrapped usu. in corn husks, and steamed

ta·man·dua [tə-'man-də-wə, -,man-də-'wä] -n

  1. either of two arboreal anteaters ( Tamandua mexicanaand T. tetradactyla) of Central and So. America having a nearly hairless tail

tam·a·rack ['ta-mə-,rak, 'tam-rak] -n

  1. any of several American larches
  2. a larch ( Larix laricina) of northern No. America that inhabits usu. moist or wet areas
  3. the wood of a tamarack

ta·ma·ri [tə-'mär-ē] -n

  1. an aged soy sauce prepared with little or no added wheat

tam·a·ril·lo [,ta-mə-'ri-(,)lō] -n

  1. the reddish edible fruit of an arborescent shrub ( Cyphomandra betacea) of the nightshade family that is native to So. America but is grown commercially elsewhere
  2. the shrub itself

tam·a·rin ['ta-mə-rən, -,ran] -n

  1. any of numerous small chiefly So. American monkeys (genera Saguinusand Leontopithecus) that are related to the marmosets and have silky fur, a long tail, and lower canine teeth that are longer than the incisors

tam·a·rind ['ta-mə-rənd, -,rind] -n

  1. a tropical Old World tree ( Tamarindus indica) of the legume family with hard yellowish wood, pinnate leaves, and red-striped yellow flowers
  2. its fruit which has an acid pulp often used for preserves or in a cooling laxative drink

tam·a·risk ['ta-mə-,risk] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Tamarixof the family Tamaricaceae, the tamarisk family) of chiefly Old World desert shrubs and trees having tiny narrow leaves and masses of minute flowers with five stamens and a one-celled ovary called also salt cedar

tam·ba·la [täm-'bä-lə] -n

  1. see kwacha at

tam·bour ['tam-,bu̇r, tam-'] -n

  1. drum
  2. an embroidery frame
  3. a set of two interlocking hoops between which cloth is stretched before stitching
  4. embroidery made on a tambour frame
  5. a shallow metallic cup or drum with a thin elastic membrane supporting a writing lever used to transmit and register slight motions (as arterial pulsations)
  6. a rolling top or front (as of a rolltop desk) of narrow strips of wood glued on canvas

tambour -vt, n

  1. to embroider (cloth) with tambour
  2. to work at a tambour frame

tam·bou·ra [tam-'bu̇r-ə] -n

  1. an Asian musical instrument resembling a lute in construction but without frets and used to produce a drone accompaniment to singing

tam·bou·rine [,tam-bə-'rēn] -n

  1. a small drum
  2. a shallow one-headed drum with loose metallic disks at the sides played esp. by shaking or striking with the hand

tame ['tām] -adj, adv, n

  1. reduced from a state of native wildness esp. so as to be tractable and useful to humans : domesticated
    • tame animals
  2. made docile and submissive : subdued
  3. lacking spirit, zest, interest, or the capacity to excite : insipid
    • a tame campaign
  4. to reduce from a wild to a domestic state
  5. to subject to cultivation
  6. to bring under control : harness
  7. to deprive of spirit : humble, subdue
    • the once revolutionary...party, long since tamed -- Times Lit. Supp.
  8. to tone down : soften
    • tamed the language in the play
  9. to become tame

tame·less ['tām-ləs] -adj

  1. not tamed or not capable of being tamed

Tam·il ['ta-məl, 'tä-] -n

  1. a Dravidian language of Tamil Nadu state, India, and of northern and eastern Sri Lanka
  2. a Tamil-speaking person or a descendant of Tamil-speaking ancestors

Tam·ma·ny ['ta-mə-nē] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or constituting a group or organization exercising or seeking municipal political control by methods often associated with corruption and bossism

Tam·muz ['tä-,mu̇z] -n

  1. the 10th month of the civil year or the 4th month of the ecclesiastical year in the Jewish calendar

Tam o' Shan·ter ['ta-mə-,] -n

  1. the hero of Burns's poem Tam o' Shanter
  2. a woolen cap of Scottish origin with a tight headband, wide flat circular crown, and usu. a pompon in the center

ta·mox·i·fen [tə-'mäk-sə-,fen] -n

  1. an estrogen antagonist C 26H 29NO used in the form of its citrate esp. to treat postmenopausal breast cancer

tamp ['tamp] -vt, n

  1. to drive in or down by a succession of light or medium blows
    • tamp wet concrete
  2. to put a check on : reduce, lessen
    • tamp down rumors
  3. a tool for tamping

tam·per ['tam-pər] -vi, n, adj

  1. to carry on underhand or improper negotiations (as by bribery)
  2. to interfere so as to weaken or change for the worse used with with
    • did not want to tamper with tradition
  3. to try foolish or dangerous experiments used with with
  4. to render something harmful or dangerous by altering its structure or composition
    • was charged with tamper ing with consumer products

tam·pi·on ['tam-pē-ən, 'täm-] -n

  1. a wooden plug or a metal or canvas cover for the muzzle of a gun

tam·pon ['tam-,pän] -n

  1. a wad of absorbent material (as of cotton) introduced into a body cavity or canal usu. to absorb secretions (as from menstruation) or to arrest hemorrhaging

tampon -vt

  1. to place or insert a tampon into

tamtam ['tam-,tam, 'täm-,täm] -n

  1. tom-tom
  2. gong
  3. one of a tuned set in a gamelan orchestra

Tam·worth ['tam-(,)wərth] -n

  1. any of a breed of large long-bodied red swine developed in England esp. for the production of bacon

tan ['tan] -vb

  1. to convert (hide) into leather by treatment with an infusion of tannin-rich bark or other agent of similar effect
  2. to convert (protein) to leather or a similar substance
  3. to make (skin) tan esp. by exposure to the sun
  4. thrash, whip
  5. to get or become tanned
  6. of, relating to, or used for tan or tanning
  7. of the color tan
  8. a tanning material or its active agent (as tannin)
  9. a brown color imparted to the skin esp. by exposure to the sun
  10. a light yellowish brown
  11. tan-colored articles of clothing
  12. tangent

tan·a·ger ['ta-ni-jər] -n

  1. any of numerous chiefly tropical American oscine birds (family Thraupidae) that are often brightly colored and inhabit mostly woodlands

tan·bark ['tan-,bärk] -n

  1. a bark rich in tannin bruised or cut into small pieces and used in tanning
  2. a surface (as a circus ring) covered with spent tanbark

tan·dem ['tan-dəm] -n

  1. a 2-seated carriage drawn by horses harnessed one before the other
  2. a team so harnessed
  3. tandem bicycle
  4. a vehicle (as a motortruck) having close-coupled pairs of axles
  5. a group of two or more arranged one behind the other or used or acting in conjunction

tandem -adv

  1. one after or behind another
    • ride tandem
  2. consisting of things or having parts arranged one behind the other
  3. working or occurring in conjunction with each other

tandem bicycle -n

  1. a bicycle for usu. two persons sitting tandem

tandem repeat -n

  1. any of several identical DNA segments lying one after the other in a sequence

tan·door [tän-'du̇r] -n

  1. a cylindrical clay oven in which food is cooked over charcoal

tan·doori [tän-'du̇r-ē] -adj, n

  1. cooked in a tandoor
    • tandoori chicken

tang ['taŋ] -n, adj

  1. a projecting shank, prong, fang, or tongue (as on a knife, file, or sword) to connect with the handle
  2. a sharp distinctive often lingering flavor
  3. a pungent odor
  4. something having the effect of a tang (as in stimulation of the senses)
    • the tang of the autumn air
    • add tang to your writing
  5. a faint suggestion : trace
    • my comment held a tang of sarcasm
  6. a distinguishing characteristic that sets apart or gives a special individuality
  7. any of various surgeonfishes
  8. to furnish with a tang
  9. to affect with a tang
  10. clang, ring
  11. a sharp twanging sound

Tang ['täŋ] -n

  1. a Chinese dynasty dated a.d.618907 and marked by wide contacts with other cultures and by the development of printing and the flourishing of poetry and art

tan·ga [tən-'ga] -n

  1. a former monetary unit equal to Tajikistan ruble

tan·ge·lo ['tan-jə-,lō] -n

  1. the fruit of a tree ( Citrus tangelo) that is a hybrid between a tangerine or mandarin orange and a grapefruit
  2. the tree

tan·gen·cy ['tan-jən(t)-sē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being tangent

tan·gent ['tan-jənt] -adj

  1. meeting a curve or surface in a single point if a sufficiently small interval is considered
    • straight line tangent to a curve
  2. having a common tangent line at a point
    • tangent curves
  3. having a common tangent plane at a point
    • tangent surfaces
  4. diverging from an original purpose or course : irrelevant
    • tangent remarks

tangent -n

  1. the trigonometric function that for an acute angle is the ratio between the leg opposite to the angle when it is considered part of a right triangle and the leg adjacent
  2. a trigonometric function that is equal to the sine divided by the cosine for all real numbers for which the cosine is not equal to zero and is exactly equal to the tangent of an angle of measure in radians
  3. a line that is tangent
  4. a straight line that is the limiting position of a secant of a curve through a fixed point and a variable point on the curve as the variable point approaches the fixed point
  5. an abrupt change of course : digression
    • the speaker went off on a tangent
  6. a small upright flat-ended metal pin at the inner end of a clavichord key that strikes the string to produce the tone

tan·gen·tial [tan-'jen(t)-shəl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or of the nature of a tangent
  2. acting along or lying in a tangent
    • tangential forces
  3. divergent, digressive
  4. touching lightly : incidental, peripheral
    • tangential involvement
  5. of little relevance
    • arguments tangential to the main point

tangent plane -n

  1. the plane through a point of a surface that contains the tangent lines to all the curves on the surface through the same point

tan·ger·ine ['tan-jə-,rēn, ,tan-jə-'] -n

  1. any of various mandarin oranges that have usu. deep orange skin and pulp
  2. mandarin
  3. a tree producing tangerines
  4. a moderate to strong reddish orange

tan·gi·ble ['tan-jə-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. capable of being perceived esp. by the sense of touch : palpable
  2. substantially real : material
  3. capable of being precisely identified or realized by the mind
    • her grief was tangible
  4. capable of being appraised at an actual or approximate value
    • tangible assets

tangible -n

  1. something tangible
  2. a tangible asset

tan·gle ['taŋ-gəl] -vb

  1. to involve so as to hamper, obstruct, or embarrass
  2. to seize and hold in or as if in a snare : entrap
  3. to unite or knit together in intricate confusion
  4. to interact in a contentious or conflicting way
  5. to become entangled

tangle -n

  1. a tangled twisted mass : snarl
  2. a complicated or confused state or condition
  3. a state of perplexity or complete bewilderment
  4. a serious altercation : dispute
  5. neurofibrillary tangle
  6. a large seaweed

tangled -adj

  1. existing in or giving the appearance of a state of utter disorder
  2. very involved : exceedingly complex

tan·gle·ment [-gəl-mənt] -n

  1. entanglement

tan·gly ['taŋ-g(ə-)lē] -adj

  1. full of tangles or knots : intricate

tan·go ['taŋ-(,)gō] -n

  1. a ballroom dance of Latin-American origin in time with a basic pattern of step-step-step-step-close and characterized by long pauses and stylized body positions
  2. the music for this dance
  3. interaction marked by a lack of straightforwardness
    • the suspect's tango with police

tango -vi

  1. to dance the tango

Tango

  1. a communications code word for the letter t

tan·gram ['taŋ-grəm, 'tan-] -n

  1. a Chinese puzzle made by cutting a square of thin material into five triangles, a square, and a rhomboid which are capable of being recombined in many different figures

tangy ['taŋ-ē] -adj

  1. having or suggestive of a tang

tank ['taŋk] -n, adj

  1. pond, pool
  2. one built as a water supply
  3. a usu. large receptacle for holding, transporting, or storing liquids (as water or fuel)
  4. an enclosed heavily armed and armored combat vehicle that moves on tracks
  5. a prison cell or enclosure used esp. for receiving prisoners
  6. tank top
  7. to place, store, or treat in a tank
  8. to make no effort to win : lose intentionally
    • tank ed the match
  9. to lose intentionally : give up in competition
  10. to suffer rapid decline, failure, or collapse
    • bought a stock that quickly tank ed

tan·ka ['täŋ-kə] -n

  1. an unrhymed Japanese verse form of five lines containing five, seven, five, seven, and seven syllables respectively
  2. a poem in this form

tank·age ['taŋ-kij] -n

  1. the aggregate of tanks required for a purpose
  2. the capacity or contents of a tank
  3. dried animal residues usu. freed from the fat and gelatin and used as fertilizer and feedstuff
  4. the act or process of putting or storing in tanks

tan·kard ['taŋ-kərd] -n

  1. a tall one-handled drinking vessel
  2. a silver or pewter mug with a lid

tank car -n

  1. a railroad car for transporting liquids or gases in bulk

tank destroyer -n

  1. a highly mobile lightly armored vehicle usu. on a half-track or a tank chassis and mounting a cannon

tanked ['taŋ(k)t] -adj

  1. drunk often used with up

tank·er ['taŋ-kər] -n

  1. a cargo ship fitted with tanks for carrying liquid in bulk
  2. a vehicle on which a tank is mounted to carry fluids
  3. a cargo airplane for transporting fuel
  4. a member of a military tank crew

tank·i·ni [taŋ-'kē-nē] -n

  1. a woman's two-piece swimsuit consisting of bikini briefs and a tank top

tank suit -n

  1. a one-piece bathing suit with usu. wide shoulder straps

tank top -n

  1. a sleeveless collarless shirt with usu. wide shoulder straps and no front opening

tank town -n

  1. a small town

tan·nage ['ta-nij] -n

  1. the act, process, or result of tanning

tan·nate ['ta-,nāt] -n

  1. a compound of a tannin

tan·ner ['ta-nər] -n

  1. one that tans hides
  2. one who acquires or seeks to acquire a suntan

tanner -n

  1. sixpence

tanner crab -n

  1. any of several spider crabs (genus Chionoecetes)
  2. snow crab

tan·nery ['ta-nə-rē, 'tan-rē] -n

  1. a place where tanning is carried on

tan·nic ['ta-nik] -adj

  1. of, resembling, or derived from tan or a tannin
  2. containing an abundance of tannins : markedly astringent

tannic acid -n

  1. tannin

tan·nin ['ta-nən] -n

  1. any of various soluble astringent complex phenolic substances of plant origin used esp. in tanning leather and dyeing fabric, manufacturing ink, clarifying wine and beer, and in medicine
  2. a substance that has a tanning effect

tanning -n

  1. the art or process by which a skin is tanned
  2. a browning of the skin esp. by exposure to sun
  3. a sound spanking
  4. a natural darkening and hardening of the cuticle of an insect immediately after molting

tan·nish ['ta-nish] -adj

  1. somewhat tan

tan oak -n

  1. a U.S. Pacific coast evergreen tree ( Lithocarpus densiflora) of the beech family that has erect staminate catkins and furrowed brown bark rich in tannins

Ta·no·an [tə-'nō-ən, 'tä-nə-wən] -n, adj

  1. a family of American Indian languages spoken in New Mexico and Arizona

tan·sy ['tan-zē] -n

  1. a common Old World composite herb ( Tanacetum vulgare) that is naturalized in No. America and has bitter-tasting finely divided aromatic leaves and clustered yellow flower heads lacking ray flowers
  2. a plant of the same genus

tansy ragwort -n

  1. an Old World yellow-flowered senecio ( Senecio jacobaea) that is naturalized in No. America and is toxic to livestock

tan·ta·late ['tan-tə-,lāt] -n

  1. a salt containing tantalum in combination with oxygen

tan·ta·lise ['tan-tə-,līz] -vb, n

(variant of tantalize)

  1. to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach
  2. to cause one to be tantalized

tan·ta·lite ['tan-tə-,līt] -n

  1. a mineral consisting of a heavy dark lustrous oxide of tantalum and usu. other metals (as iron or manganese)

tan·ta·lize ['tan-tə-,līz] -vb, n

  1. to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach
  2. to cause one to be tantalized

tantalizing -adj, adv

  1. possessing a quality that arouses or stimulates desire or interest
  2. mockingly or teasingly out of reach

tan·ta·lum ['tan-tə-ləm] -n

  1. a gray-white ductile acid-resisting metallic element found combined in rare minerals (as tantalite and columbite) and used esp. in electronic components

Tan·ta·lus ['tan-tə-ləs] -n

  1. a legendary king of Lydia condemned to stand up to the chin in a pool of water in Hades and beneath fruit-laden boughs only to have the water or fruit recede at each attempt to drink or eat
  2. a locked cellarette with contents visible but not obtainable without a key

tan·ta·mount ['tan-tə-,mau̇nt] -adj

  1. equivalent in value, significance, or effect
    • a relationship tantamount to marriage

tan·ta·ra [tan-'ta-rə, -'tär-ə] -n

  1. the blare of a trumpet or horn

tan·tivy [tan-'ti-vē] -adv

  1. at a gallop

tantivy -n

  1. a rapid gallop or ride
  2. tantara

tan·tra ['tən-trə, 'tän-, 'tan-] -n, adj

  1. one of the later Hindu or Buddhist scriptures dealing esp. with techniques and rituals including meditative and sexual practices
  2. the rituals or practices outlined in the tantra

tan·trum ['tan-trəm] -n

  1. a fit of bad temper

ta·nu·ki [tä-'nü-kē] -n

  1. the fur of a raccoon dog
  2. raccoon dog

tan·yard ['tan-,yärd] -n

  1. the section or part of a tannery housing tanning vats

tan·za·nite ['tan-zə-,nīt] -n

  1. a mineral that is a deep blue variety of zoisite and is used as a gemstone

Tao ['dau̇, 'tau̇] -n

  1. the unconditional and unknowable source and guiding principle of all reality as conceived by Taoists
  2. the process of nature by which all things change and which is to be followed for a life of harmony
  3. the path of virtuous conduct as conceived by Confucians
  4. the art or skill of doing something in harmony with the essential nature of the thing
    • the Tao of archery

Tao·ism [-,i-zəm] -n, adj or n, adj

  1. a Chinese mystical philosophy traditionally founded by Lao-tzu in the sixth century b.c.that teaches conformity to the Tao by unassertive action and simplicity
  2. a religion developed from Taoist philosophy and folk and Buddhist religion and concerned with obtaining long life and good fortune often by magical means

tap ['tap] -n

  1. a plug for a hole (as in a cask) : spigot
  2. a device consisting of a spout and valve attached to the end of a pipe to control the flow of a fluid : faucet
  3. a liquor drawn through a tap
  4. the procedure of removing fluid (as from a body cavity)
  5. a tool for forming an internal screw thread
  6. an intermediate point in an electric circuit where a connection may be made
  7. wiretap
  8. to let out or cause to flow by piercing or by drawing a plug from the containing vessel
    • tap wine from a cask
  9. to pierce so as to let out or draw off a fluid
    • tap maple trees
  10. to draw out, from, or upon
    • tap new sources of revenue
    • the story tap s powerful emotions
  11. to cut in on (as a telephone or radio signal) to get information
  12. to form an internal screw thread in by means of a tap
  13. to get money from as a loan or gift
  14. to connect (a street gas or water main) with a local supply
  15. to strike lightly esp. with a slight sound
  16. to give a light blow with
    • tap a pencil on the table
  17. to bring about by repeated light blows
    • tap out a story on the typewriter
  18. to repair by putting a tap on
  19. select, designate
    • was tapped for police commissioner
  20. to elect to membership (as in a fraternity)
  21. to strike a light audible blow : rap
  22. to walk with light audible steps
  23. tap-dance
  24. a light usu. audible blow
  25. its sound
  26. one of several usu. rapid drumbeats on a snare drum
  27. half sole
  28. a small metal plate for the sole or heel of a shoe
  29. tap dance
  30. flap

ta·pa ['tä-pə, 'ta-] -n

  1. a coarse cloth made in the Pacific islands from the pounded bark esp. of the paper mulberry and usu. decorated with geometric patterns

tapa -n

  1. an hors d'oeuvre served with drinks esp. in Spanish bars usu. used in pl.

tap dance -n, vi

  1. a step dance tapped out audibly by means of shoes with hard soles or soles and heels to which taps have been added
  2. something suggesting a tap dance
  3. an action or discourse intended to rationalize or distract
    • does a clever tap dance to explain -- Campbell Geeslin

tape ['tāp] -n

  1. a narrow woven fabric
  2. a string or ribbon stretched breast-high above the finish line of a race
  3. : a narrow flexible strip or band: as
  4. adhesive tape
  5. magnetic tape
  6. cassette
  7. tape recording
  8. to fasten, tie, bind, cover, or support with tape
  9. to record on tape and esp. magnetic tape
    • tape an interview
  10. to record something on tape and esp. magnetic tape
  11. recorded on tape
    • tape music
  12. intended for use with recording (as magnetic) tape
    • a tape cartridge

tape deck -n

  1. a device used to play back and often to record on magnetic tape that usu. has to be connected to an audio system

tape grass -n

  1. any of several submerged aquatic monocotyledonous plants (genus Vallisneriaof the family Hydrocharitaceae) with long ribbonlike leaves called also eelgrass wild celery

tape measure -n

  1. a narrow strip (as of a limp cloth or steel tape) marked off in units (as inches or centimeters) for measuring

ta·pe·nade [,tä-pə-'näd] -n

  1. a seasoned spread made chiefly with mashed black olives, capers, and anchovies

ta·per ['tā-pər] -n

  1. a slender candle
  2. a long waxed wick used esp. for lighting candles, lamps, pipes, or fires
  3. a feeble light
  4. a tapering form or figure
  5. gradual diminution of thickness, diameter, or width in an elongated object
  6. a gradual decrease

taper -adj

  1. progressively narrowed toward one end
  2. furnished with or adjusted to a scale : graduated
    • taper freight rates
  3. to become progressively smaller toward one end
  4. to diminish gradually
  5. to cause to taper

tap·er ['tā-pər] -n

  1. one that applies or dispenses tape

tapere·cord [,tāp-ri-'kȯrd, 'tāp-ri-,] -vt

  1. to make a recording of on magnetic tape

tape recorder -n

  1. a device for recording on and playing back magnetic tape

tape recording -n

  1. magnetic recording on magnetic tape
  2. a recording made by this process

ta·per·er ['tā-pər-ər] -n

  1. one who bears a taper in a religious procession

taper off -vb

  1. taper
    • housing starts tapered off in the fall

ta·per·stick ['tā-pər-,stik] -n

  1. a candlestick that holds tapers

tap·es·tried ['ta-pə-strēd] -adj

  1. covered or decorated with or as if with tapestry
  2. woven or depicted in tapestry

tap·es·try ['ta-pə-strē] -n

  1. a heavy handwoven reversible textile used for hangings, curtains, and upholstery and characterized by complicated pictorial designs
  2. a nonreversible imitation of tapestry used chiefly for upholstery
  3. embroidery on canvas resembling woven tapestry
    • needlepoint tapestry
  4. something resembling tapestry (as in complexity or richness of design)
    • nature's rich tapestry

tapestry carpet -n

  1. a carpet in which the designs are printed in colors on the threads before the fabric is woven

ta·pe·tum [tə-'pē-təm] -n

  1. any of various reflective membranous layers or areas esp. of the choroid and retina of the eye
  2. a layer of nutritive cells that invests the sporogenous tissue in the sporangium of vascular plants

tape·worm ['tāp-,wərm] -n

  1. any of a class (Cestoda) of bilaterally symmetrical flatworms parasitic esp. in the intestines of vertebrates called also cestode

tap·hole ['tap-,hōl] -n

  1. a hole for a tap
  2. a hole at or near the bottom of a furnace or ladle through which molten metal, matte, or slag can be tapped

ta·phon·o·my [tə-'fä-nə-mē, ta-] -n, adj

  1. the study of the processes (as burial, decay, and preservation) that affect animal and plant remains as they become fossilized
  2. the processes themselves

tapin ['tap-,in] -n

  1. tip-in
  2. a very short easy putt in golf

tap·i·o·ca [,ta-pē-'ō-kə] -n

  1. a usu. granular preparation of cassava starch used esp. in puddings and as a thickening in liquid food
  2. a dish (as pudding) containing tapioca
  3. cassava

ta·pir ['tā-pər also 'tā-,pir or tə-'pir] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Tapirus) of herbivorous chiefly nocturnal perissodactyl mammals of tropical America and southeastern Asia from Myanmar to Sumatra that have a heavy sparsely hairy body and the snout and upper lip prolonged into a short flexible proboscis

tap·is ['ta-,pē, ta-'pē] -n

  1. a small tapestry used for hangings and floor and table coverings

tapoff ['tap-,ȯf] -n

  1. tip-off

tap out -vi

  1. to run out of money by betting

tap pants -n pl

  1. a loose-fitting woman's undergarment of a style similar to shorts formerly worn for tap dancing

tapped out -adj

  1. out of money : broke
  2. spent, exhausted
    • tapped out after months on the road

tap·pet ['ta-pət] -n

  1. a lever or projection moved by some other piece (as a cam) or intended to tap or touch something else to cause a particular motion

tapping -n

  1. the act, process, or means by which something is tapped

tap·pit hen ['ta-pət-] -n

  1. a drinking vessel with a knob on the lid

tap·room ['tap-,rüm, -,ru̇m] -n

  1. barroom

tap·root [-,rüt, -,ru̇t] -n

  1. a primary root that grows vertically downward and gives off small lateral roots
  2. the central element or position in a line of growth or development

taps ['taps] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. the last bugle call at night blown as a signal that lights are to be put out
  2. a similar call blown at military funerals and memorial services

tap·saltee·rie [,tap-səl-'tē-rē] -adv

  1. topsy-turvy

tap·ster ['tap-stər] -n

  1. bartender

tap water -n

  1. water as it comes from a tap (as in a home)

ta·que·ria [,tä-kə-'rē-ə] -n

  1. a Mexican restaurant specializing esp. in tacos and burritos

tar ['tär] -n

  1. a dark brown or black bituminous usu. odorous viscous liquid obtained by destructive distillation of organic material (as wood, coal, or peat)
  2. a substance in some respects resembling tar
  3. a condensable residue present in smoke from burning tobacco that contains combustion by-products (as resins, acids, phenols, and essential oils)
  4. sailor
  5. to cover with tar
  6. to defile as if with tar
    • least tarred by the scandal -- Newsweek
  7. to urge to action usu. used with on

tar·a·did·dle [,ta-rə-'di-dᵊl, 'ta-rə-,] -n

  1. fib
  2. pretentious nonsense

Tar·a·hu·ma·ra [,ta-rə-hü-'mär-ə] -n

  1. a member of an American Indian people living in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico
  2. the Uto-Aztecan language of the Tarahumara people

tar·an·tel·la [,ta-rən-'te-lə] -n

  1. a lively folk dance of southern Italy in time

tar·an·tism ['ta-rən-,ti-zəm] -n

  1. a dancing mania or malady of late medieval Europe

ta·ran·tu·la [tə-'ran-chə-lə, -tə-lə; -'ranch-lə, -'rant-] -n

  1. a European wolf spider ( Lycosa tarentula) popularly held to be the cause of tarantism
  2. any of a family (Theraphosidae) of large hairy American spiders that are typically rather sluggish and capable of biting sharply though most forms are not significantly poisonous to humans

Ta·ras·can [tə-'ras-kən, -'räs-] -n

  1. a member of an American Indian people of the state of Michoacan, Mexico
  2. the language of the Tarascan people

tar baby -n

  1. something from which it is nearly impossible to extricate oneself

tar·boosh [tär-'büsh, 'tär-,] -n

  1. a red hat similar to the fez worn esp. by Muslim men

tar·di·grade ['tär-də-,grād] -n

  1. any of a phylum (Tardigrada) of microscopic invertebrates with four pairs of stout legs that live usu. in water or damp moss called also water bear

tar·di·ly ['tär-də-lē] -adv

  1. at a slow pace
  2. late

tar·dive dyskinesia ['tär-div-] -n

  1. a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary uncontrollable movements esp. of the mouth, tongue, trunk, and limbs and occurring esp. as a side effect of prolonged use of antipsychotic drugs (as phenothiazine)

tar·do ['tär-(,)dō] -adj

  1. slow used as a direction in music

tar·dy ['tär-dē] -adj, n

  1. moving slowly : sluggish
    • the tardy pace at which she was obliged to walk -- Charles Dickens
  2. delayed beyond the expected or proper time : late
    • a tardy arrival

tardy -n

  1. an instance of being tardy (as to a class)

tare ['ter] -n

  1. the seed of a vetch
  2. any of several vetches (esp. Vicia sativaand V. hirsuta)
  3. a weed of grain fields esp. of Biblical times that is usu. held to be the darnel
  4. an undesirable element
  5. a deduction from the gross weight of a substance and its container made in allowance for the weight of the container
  6. the weight of the container
  7. counterweight
  8. to ascertain or mark the tare of
  9. to weigh so as to determine the tare

targe ['tärj] -n

  1. a light shield used esp. by the Scots

tar·get ['tär-gət] -n

  1. a small round shield
  2. a mark to shoot at
  3. a target marked by shots fired at it
  4. something or someone fired at or marked for attack
  5. a goal to be achieved
  6. an object of ridicule or criticism
  7. something or someone to be affected by an action or development
  8. the metallic surface (as of platinum or tungsten) upon which the stream of electrons within an X-ray tube is focused and from which the X-rays are emitted
  9. a body, surface, or material bombarded with nuclear particles or electrons
  10. fluorescent material on which desired visual effects are produced in electronic devices (as in radar)

target -vt

  1. to make a target of
    • target ed her for promotion
  2. to set as a goal
  3. to direct or use toward a target

tar·get·able ['tär-gə-tə-bəl] -adj

  1. capable of being aimed at a target
    • missiles with targetable warheads

target date -n

  1. the date set for an event or for the completion of a project, goal, or quota

target language -n

  1. a language into which another language is to be translated
  2. a language other than one's native language that is being learned

Tar·gum ['tär-,gu̇m, -,güm] -n

  1. an Aramaic translation or paraphrase of a portion of the Old Testament

Tar Heel -n

  1. a native or resident of North Carolina used as a nickname

tar·iff ['ter-əf, 'ta-rəf] -n

  1. a schedule of duties imposed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods
  2. a duty or rate of duty imposed in such a schedule
  3. a schedule of rates or charges of a business or a public utility
  4. price, charge

tariff -vt

  1. to subject to a tariff

tar·la·tan ['tär-lə-tən] -n

  1. a sheer cotton fabric in open plain weave usu. heavily sized for stiffness

tar·mac ['tär-,mak] -n

  1. a tarmacadam road, apron, or runway

Tarmac -trademark

  1. used for a bituminous binder for roads

tar·mac·ad·am [,tär-mə-'ka-dəm] -n

  1. a pavement constructed by spraying or pouring a tar binder over layers of crushed stone and then rolling
  2. a material of tar and aggregates mixed in a plant and shaped on the roadway

tarn ['tärn] -n

  1. a small steep-banked mountain lake or pool

tar·na·tion [,tär-'nā-shən] -n

  1. damnation often used as an interjection or intensive often used with in
    • tarnation strike me -- James Joyce
    • where in tarnation you from? -- Jessamyn West

tar·nish ['tär-nish] -vb, adj

  1. to dull or destroy the luster of by or as if by air, dust, or dirt : soil, stain
  2. to detract from the good quality of : vitiate
    • his fine dreams now slightly tarnish ed
  3. to bring disgrace on : sully
    • the scandal has tarnish ed his reputation
  4. to become tarnished

tarnish -n

  1. something that tarnishes
  2. a film of chemically altered material on the surface of a metal (as silver)

tarnished plant bug -n

  1. a common hemipterous brownish bug ( Lygus lineolaris) of eastern No. America that causes injury to plants esp. by sucking sap from buds, leaves, and fruits

ta·ro ['tär-(,)ō, 'ter-] -n

  1. a large-leaved tropical Asian plant ( Colocasia esculenta) of the arum family grown throughout the tropics for its edible starchy corms and cormels and in temperate regions for ornament
  2. its corms and cormels typically cooked as a vegetable or ground into flour

tar·ot ['ter-(,)ō, 'ta-(,)rō] -n

  1. any of a set of usu. 78 playing cards including 22 pictorial cards used for fortune-telling

tarp ['tärp] -n

  1. tarpaulin

tar paper -n

  1. a heavy paper coated or impregnated with tar for use esp. in building

tar·pau·lin [tär-'pȯ-lən, 'tär-pə-; ÷tär-'pōl-yən] -n

  1. a piece of material (as durable plastic) used for protecting exposed objects or areas
  2. sailor

tar pit -n

  1. an area in which natural bitumens collect and are exposed at the earth's surface and which tends to trap animals and preserve their hard parts (as bones or teeth)

tar·pon ['tär-pən] -n

  1. a large silvery elongate bony fish ( Megalops atlanticusof the family Elopidae) that occurs esp. in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and warm coastal waters of the Atlantic, reaches a length of about six feet (two meters), and is often caught for sport

tar·ra·gon ['ter-ə-,gän, 'ta-rə- also -gən] -n

  1. a small widely cultivated perennial artemisia ( Artemisia dracunculus) having aromatic narrow usu. entire leaves
  2. its leaves used as a seasoning

tarre ['tär] -n

(variant of tar)

  1. a dark brown or black bituminous usu. odorous viscous liquid obtained by destructive distillation of organic material (as wood, coal, or peat)
  2. a substance in some respects resembling tar
  3. a condensable residue present in smoke from burning tobacco that contains combustion by-products (as resins, acids, phenols, and essential oils)
  4. sailor
  5. to cover with tar
  6. to defile as if with tar
    • least tarred by the scandal -- Newsweek
  7. to urge to action usu. used with on

tar·ri·ance ['ta-rē-ən(t)s] -n

  1. the act or an instance of tarrying

tar·ry ['ter-ē, 'ta-rē] -vi

  1. to delay or be tardy in acting or doing
  2. to linger in expectation : wait
  3. to abide or stay in or at a place

tarry -n

  1. stay, sojourn

tar·ry ['tär-ē] -adj

  1. of, resembling, or covered with tar

tar·sal ['tär-səl] -adj

  1. of or relating to the tarsus
  2. being or relating to plates of dense connective tissue that serve to stiffen the eyelids

tarsal -n

  1. a tarsal part (as a bone or cartilage)

tar sand -n

  1. a natural impregnation of sand or sandstone with petroleum from which the lighter portions have escaped

tar·si·er ['tär-sē-ər, -sē-,ā] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Tarsiusof the family Tarsiidae) of small chiefly nocturnal and arboreal carnivorous primates of the Malay Archipelago that have large round eyes, long legs, and a long nearly hairless tail

tar·so·meta·tar·sus ['tär-(,)sō-'me-tə-,tär-səs] -n

  1. the large compound bone of the tarsus of a bird
  2. the segment of the limb it supports

tar·sus ['tär-səs] -n

  1. the part of the foot of a vertebrate between the metatarsus and the leg
  2. the small bones that support this part of the limb
  3. the tarsal plate of the eyelid
  4. the distal part of the limb of an arthropod
  5. tarsometatarsus

tart ['tärt] -adj, adv, n

  1. agreeably sharp or acid to the taste
    • a tart apple
  2. marked by a biting, acrimonious, or cutting quality
    • a tart rejoinder
  3. : a dish baked in a pastry shell : pie: as
  4. a small pie or pastry shell without a top containing jelly, custard, or fruit
  5. a small pie made of pastry folded over a filling
  6. prostitute

tar·tan ['tär-tᵊn] -n

  1. a plaid textile design of Scottish origin consisting of stripes of varying width and color usu. patterned to designate a distinctive clan
  2. a twilled woolen fabric with tartan design
  3. a fabric with tartan design
  4. a garment of tartan design

tar·tar ['tär-tər] -n

  1. a substance consisting essentially of cream of tartar that is derived from the juice of grapes and deposited in wine casks together with yeast and other suspended matters as a pale or dark reddish crust or sediment
  2. a recrystallized product yielding cream of tartar on further purification
  3. an incrustation on the teeth consisting of plaque that has become hardened by the deposition of mineral salts (as calcium carbonate)

tartar [tär-'ter-ē-ən] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Tartary
  2. tatar
  3. a person of irritable or violent temper
  4. one that proves to be unexpectedly formidable

Tar·tar·e·an [tär-'ter-ē-ən] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or resembling Tartarus : infernal
    • were thrown headlong...into the Tartarean abyss -- Edward Gibbon

tartar emetic -n

  1. a poisonous efflorescent crystalline salt C 8H 4K 2O 12Sb 23H 2O of sweetish metallic taste that is used in dyeing as a mordant and esp. formerly in medicine as an emetic and expectorant

tar·tar·ic acid [(,)tär-'ta-rik-] -n

  1. a strong dicarboxylic acid C 4H 6O 6of plant origin that occurs in various isomeric forms, is usu. obtained from tartar, and is used esp. in food and medicines, in photography, in wine making, and in making salts and esters

tar·tar sauce ['tär-tər-] -n

  1. a sauce made principally of mayonnaise and chopped pickles

Tar·ta·rus ['tär-tə-rəs] -n

  1. a section of Hades reserved for punishment of the wicked

tarte ta·tin [,tär(t)-tä-'tan, -'taⁿ] -n

  1. a caramelized apple tart that is baked with pastry on top and then inverted for serving

tart·let ['tärt-lət] -n

  1. a small tart

tar·trate ['tär-,trāt] -n

  1. a salt or ester of tartaric acid

Tar·tuffe [,tär-'tu̇f, -'tüf] -n

  1. a religious hypocrite and protagonist in Moliere's play Tartuffe

tart up -vt

  1. dress up, fancy up
    • tarted up pubs and restaurants for the spenders -- Arnold Ehrlich

tarty ['tär-(,)tē] -adj

  1. resembling or suggestive of a prostitute (as in clothing or manner)

tase ['tāz] -vt

  1. to shoot with a Taser gun

Ta·ser ['tā-zər] -trademark

  1. used for a gun that fires electrified darts to stun and immobilize a person

task ['task] -n

  1. a usu. assigned piece of work often to be finished within a certain time
  2. something hard or unpleasant that has to be done
  3. duty, function
  4. subjection to adverse criticism : reprimand used in the expressions to take, call, or bring to task
  5. to assign a task to
    • employees task ed with updating the files
  6. to impose a tax on
  7. to oppress with great labor
    • task s his mind with petty details

task force -n

  1. a temporary grouping under one leader for the purpose of accomplishing a definite objective

task·mas·ter ['task-,mas-tər] -n

  1. one that imposes a task or burdens another with labor

task·mis·tress [-,mis-trəs] -n

  1. a woman who is a taskmaster

Tas·ma·nian devil [(,)taz-'mā-nē-ən-, -nyən-] -n

  1. a heavily built carnivorous nocturnal Tasmanian marsupial ( Sarcophilus harrisii) that is about the size of a badger and has powerful jaws and teeth and a chiefly black coat marked with white on the chest

Tasmanian tiger -n

  1. a somewhat doglike carnivorous marsupial ( Thylacinus cynocephalus) that formerly inhabited Tasmania but is now considered extinct called also Tasmanian wolf, thylacine

tasse ['tas] -n

  1. one of a series of overlapping metal plates in a suit of armor that form a short skirt over the body below the waist

tas·sel ['ta-səl, oftenest of corn 'tä-, 'tȯ-] -n

  1. a dangling ornament made by laying parallel a bunch of cords or threads of even length and fastening them at one end
  2. something resembling a tassel
  3. the terminal male inflorescence of some plants and esp. Indian corn

tassel [-s(ə-)liŋ] -vb

  1. to adorn with tassels
  2. to put forth tassel inflorescences

taste ['tāst] -vb

  1. to become acquainted with by experience
    • has tasted the frustration of defeat
  2. to ascertain the flavor of by taking a little into the mouth
  3. to eat or drink esp. in small quantities
  4. to perceive or recognize as if by the sense of taste
  5. appreciate, enjoy
  6. to eat or drink a little
  7. to test the flavor of something by taking a small part into the mouth
  8. to have perception, experience, or enjoyment : partake often used with of
  9. to have a specific flavor
    • the apple taste s sour
  10. test
  11. the act of tasting
  12. a small amount tasted
  13. a small amount : bit
  14. a sample of experience
    • her first taste of success
  15. the special sense that perceives and distinguishes the sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a dissolved substance and is mediated by taste buds on the tongue
  16. the objective sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a dissolved substance as perceived by the sense of taste
  17. a sensation obtained from a substance in the mouth that is typically produced by the stimulation of the sense of taste combined with those of touch and smell : flavor
  18. the distinctive quality of an experience
    • that gruesome scene left a bad taste in my mouth
  19. individual preference : inclination
  20. critical judgment, discernment, or appreciation
  21. manner or aesthetic quality indicative of such discernment or appreciation

taste bud -n

  1. an end organ mediating the sensation of taste and lying chiefly in the epithelium of the tongue

taste·ful ['tāst-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. tasty
  2. having, exhibiting, or conforming to good taste
    • a tasteful display

taste·less ['tāst-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. having no taste : insipid
    • tasteless vegetables
  2. arousing no interest : dull
  3. not having or exhibiting good taste
    • a tasteless joke

taste·mak·er [-,mā-kər] -n

  1. one who sets the standards of what is currently popular or fashionable

tast·er ['tā-stər] -n

  1. : one that tastes: as
  2. one that tests (as tea) for quality by tasting
  3. a person who is able to taste the chemical phenylthiocarbamide
  4. a device for tasting or sampling

tasty ['tā-stē] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a marked and appetizing flavor
    • a tasty meal
  2. strikingly attractive or interesting
    • a tasty bit of gossip
  3. tasteful

tat ['tat] -vb

  1. to work at tatting
  2. to make by tatting
  3. a small protein produced by a lentivirus (as HIV) that greatly increases the rate of viral transcription and replication and enhances the susceptibility of T cells to infection
  4. the viral gene that codes for the tat protein
  5. tattoo

TAT -abbr

  1. thematic apperception test

tata [tä-'tä] -interj

  1. used to express farewell

ta·ta·mi [tä-'tä-mē, ta-] -n

  1. straw matting used as a floor covering in a Japanese home

Ta·tar ['tä-tər] -n

  1. a member of any of a group of Turkic peoples found mainly in the Tatar Republic of Russia and parts of Siberia and central Asia
  2. any of the Turkic languages spoken by the Tatar peoples

ta·ter ['tā-tər] -n

  1. potato
  2. home run

tat·soi ['tät-'sȯi] -n

  1. an Asian mustard ( Brassica rapa rosularis) having a rosette of edible dark green spoon-shaped glossy leaves
  2. the leaves

tat·ter ['ta-tər] -vt

  1. to make ragged
  2. to become ragged

tatter -n

  1. a part torn and left hanging : shred
  2. tattered clothing : rags

tat·ter·de·ma·lion [,ta-tər-di-'māl-yən, -'mal-, -'ma-lē-ən] -n

  1. a person dressed in ragged clothing : ragamuffin

tatterdemalion -adj

  1. ragged or disreputable in appearance
  2. being in a decayed state or condition : dilapidated

tat·tered ['ta-tərd] -adj

  1. wearing ragged clothes
    • a tattered barefoot boy
  2. torn into shreds : ragged
    • a tattered flag
  3. broken down : dilapidated
    • decaying houses along tattered paved streets -- P. B. Martin
  4. being in a shattered condition
    • led their tattered party to victory

tat·ter·sall ['ta-tər-,sȯl, -səl] -n

  1. a pattern of colored lines forming squares of solid background
  2. a fabric woven or printed in a tattersall pattern

tat·tie ['ta-tē] -n

  1. potato

tat·ting ['ta-tiŋ] -n

  1. a delicate handmade lace formed usu. by looping and knotting with a single cotton thread and a small shuttle
  2. the act or process of making tatting

tat·tle ['ta-tᵊl] -n

  1. idle talk : chatter
  2. gossip

tattle ['tat-liŋ, 'ta-tᵊl-iŋ] -vb

  1. chatter, prate
  2. to tell secrets : blab
  3. to utter or disclose in gossip or chatter

tat·tler ['tat-lər, 'ta-tᵊl-ər] -n

  1. tattletale
  2. any of various slender long-legged shorebirds (as the willet, yellowlegs, and redshank) of the sandpiper family with a loud and frequent call

tat·tle·tale ['ta-tᵊl-,tāl] -n

  1. one that tattles : informer

tat·too [ta-'tü] -n

  1. a rapid rhythmic rapping
  2. a call sounded shortly before taps as notice to go to quarters
  3. outdoor military exercise given by troops as evening entertainment

tattoo -vt

  1. to beat or rap rhythmically on : drum on
  2. to give a series of rhythmic taps
  3. to mark or color (the skin) with tattoos
  4. to mark the skin with (a tattoo)
    • tattoo ed a flag on his chest
  5. the act of tattooing : the fact of being tattooed
  6. an indelible mark or figure fixed upon the body by insertion of pigment under the skin or by production of scars

tat·ty ['ta-tē] -adj, n

  1. rather worn, frayed, or dilapidated : shabby
    • a tatty shirt

tau ['tau̇, 'tȯ] -n

  1. the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet
  2. a short-lived elementary particle of the lepton family that exists in positive and negative charge states and has a mass about 3500 times greater than an electron called also tau particle
  3. a protein that binds to and regulates the assembly and stability of neuronal microtubules and that is found in an abnormal form as the major component of neurofibrillary tangles

tau cross -n

  1. a T-shaped cross sometimes having expanded ends and foot

taught ['tēch] -vb

(variant of teach)

  1. to cause to know something
    • taught them a trade
  2. to cause to know how
    • is teach ing me to drive
  3. to accustom to some action or attitude
    • teach students to think for themselves
  4. to cause to know the disagreeable consequences of some action
    • I'll teach you to come home late
  5. to guide the studies of
  6. to impart the knowledge of
    • teach algebra
  7. to instruct by precept, example, or experience
  8. to make known and accepted
    • experience teach es us our limitations
  9. to conduct instruction regularly in
    • teach school
  10. to provide instruction : act as a teacher

taunt ['tȯnt, 'tänt] -n

  1. a sarcastic challenge or insult
  2. to reproach or challenge in a mocking or insulting manner : jeer at

taupe ['tōp] -n

  1. a brownish gray

Tau·re·an ['tȯr-ē-ən] -n

  1. taurus

tau·rine ['tȯ-,rīn] -adj

  1. of or relating to a bull : bovine
  2. a crystalline acid C 2H 7NO 3S that is synthesized in the body from cysteine and methionine, is similar to amino acids but is not a component of proteins, and is involved in various physiological functions (as bile acid conjugation and cell membrane stabilization)

tau·ro·cho·lic acid [,tȯr-ə-'kō-lik-, -'kä-] -n

  1. a bile acid C 26H 45NO 7S derived from cholic acid and taurine and occurring as the sodium salt in the bile esp. of carnivores

Tau·rus ['tȯr-əs] -n

  1. a zodiacal constellation that contains the Pleiades and Hyades and is represented pictorially by a bull's forequarters
  2. the second sign of the zodiac in astrology
  3. one born under the sign of Taurus

taut ['tȯt] -adj, adv, n

  1. having no give or slack : tightly drawn
    • a taut rope
  2. high-strung, tense
    • taut nerves
  3. kept in proper order or condition
    • a taut ship
  4. not loose or flabby
    • taut muscles
  5. marked by economy of structure and detail
    • a taut story
  6. mat, tangle

taut- -comb form

  1. same
    • tauto merism
    • taut onym

taut·en ['tȯ-tᵊn] -vb

  1. to make taut
    • tauten the rope
  2. to become taut

tau·tog ['tȯ-,tȯg, -,täg, tȯ-'] -n

  1. an edible fish ( Tautoga onitis) of the wrasse family found along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and adjacent Canada called also blackfish

tau·to·log·i·cal [,tȯ-tə-'lä-ji-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. tautologous

tau·tol·o·gous [tȯ-'tä-lə-gəs] -adj, adv

  1. involving or containing rhetorical tautology : redundant
  2. true by virtue of its logical form alone

tau·tol·o·gy [tȯ-'tä-lə-jē] -n

  1. needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word
  2. an instance of tautology
  3. a tautologous statement

tau·to·mer ['tȯ-tə-mər] -n

  1. any of the forms of a tautomeric compound

tau·to·mer·ic [,tȯ-tə-'mer-ik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or marked by tautomerism

tau·tom·er·ism [tȯ-'tä-mə-,ri-zəm] -n

  1. isomerism in which the isomers change into one another with great ease so that they ordinarily exist together in equilibrium

taut·o·nym ['tȯ-tə-,nim] -n

  1. a taxonomic binomial in which the generic name and specific epithet are alike and which is common in zoology esp. to designate a typical form but is forbidden to botany under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature

tav·ern ['ta-vərn] -n

  1. an establishment where alcoholic beverages are sold to be drunk on the premises
  2. inn

ta·ver·na [tä-'ver-nə] -n

  1. a cafe in Greece

tav·ern·er ['tav-ə(r)-nər] -n

  1. one who keeps a tavern

taw ['tȯ] -vt

  1. to tan (skins) usu. by a dry process (as with alum or salt)
  2. the 23d letter of the Hebrew alphabet
  3. a marble used as a shooter
  4. ringtaw
  5. the line from which players shoot at marbles
  6. a square-dance partner
  7. to shoot a marble

taw·dry ['tȯ-drē, 'tä-] -adj, adv, n

  1. cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality
  2. ignoble
    • a tawdry attempt to smear his opponent

tawdry -n

  1. cheap showy finery

taw·ny ['tȯ-nē, 'tä-nē] -adj, n

  1. of the color tawny
  2. of a warm sandy color
    • the lion's tawny coat

tawny -n

  1. a brownish-orange to light brown color

taw·pie ['tȯ-pē] -n

  1. a foolish or awkward young person

tawse ['tȯz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a leather strap slit into strips at the end and used esp. for disciplining children

tax ['taks] -vt, adj, n

  1. to assess or determine judicially the amount of (costs in a court action)
  2. to levy a tax on
  3. to enter (a name) in a list
    • there went out a decree...that all the world should be tax ed -- Lk 2:1(AV)
  4. charge, accuse
    • tax ed him with neglect of duty
  5. censure
  6. to make onerous and rigorous demands on
    • the job tax ed her strength
  7. a charge usu. of money imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes
  8. a sum levied on members of an organization to defray expenses
  9. a heavy demand

tax- -comb form

  1. arrangement
    • tax eme
    • taxi dermy

taxa ['tak-,sän] -n

(variant of taxon)

  1. a taxonomic group or entity
  2. the name applied to a taxonomic group in a formal system of nomenclature

tax·a·tion [tak-'sā-shən] -n

  1. the action of taxing
  2. the imposition of taxes
  3. revenue obtained from taxes
  4. the amount assessed as a tax

tax base -n

  1. the wealth (as real estate or income) within a jurisdiction that is liable to taxation

taxex·empt [,taks-ig-'zem(p)t] -adj

  1. exempted from a tax
  2. bearing interest that is free from federal or state income tax

taxi ['tak-sē] -n

  1. taxicab
  2. a similarly operated boat or aircraft
  3. to go at low speed along the surface of the ground or water
  4. to operate an aircraft on the ground under its own power
  5. to ride in a taxicab
    • taxi ed to the train station
  6. to transport by or as if by taxi
  7. to cause (an aircraft) to taxi

taxi·cab ['tak-sē-,kab] -n

  1. an automobile that carries passengers for a fare usu. determined by the distance traveled

taxi dancer -n

  1. a woman employed by a dance hall, cafe, or cabaret to dance with patrons who pay an amount for each dance

taxi·der·my ['tak-sə-,dər-mē] -n, adj

  1. the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals and esp. vertebrates

taxi·man ['tak-sē-mən] -n

  1. the operator of a taxi

taxi·me·ter ['tak-sē-,mē-tər] -n

  1. an instrument for use in a hired vehicle (as a taxicab) for automatically showing the fare due

tax·ing ['tak-siŋ] -adj, adv

  1. onerous, wearing
    • a taxing operatic role

tax·is ['tak-səs] -n

  1. reflex translational or orientational movement by a freely motile and usu. simple organism in relation to a source of stimulation (as a light or a temperature or chemical gradient)
  2. a reflex reaction involving a taxis

taxi stand -n

  1. a place where taxis may park while awaiting hire

taxi·way ['tak-sē-,wā] -n

  1. a usu. paved strip for taxiing (as from the terminal to a runway) at an airport

Tax·ol ['tax-,sȯl] -trademark

  1. used for a preparation of paclitaxel

tax·on ['tak-,sän] -n

  1. a taxonomic group or entity
  2. the name applied to a taxonomic group in a formal system of nomenclature

tax·on·o·my [tak-'sä-nə-mē] -n, adj, adv

  1. the study of the general principles of scientific classification : systematics
  2. classification
  3. orderly classification of plants and animals according to their presumed natural relationships

tax·pay·er ['taks-,pā-ər] -n

  1. one that pays or is liable for a tax

tax·pay·ing [-,pā-iŋ] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or subject to the paying of a tax

tax selling -n

  1. concerted selling of securities late in the year to establish gains and losses for income-tax purposes

tax shelter ['taks-,shel-tərd] -n, adj

  1. a strategy, investment, or tax code provision that reduces tax liability

tax stamp -n

  1. a stamp marked on or affixed to a taxable item as evidence that the tax has been paid

tax·us ['tak-səs] -n

  1. yew

Tay·lor·ism ['tā-lər-,i-zəm] -n

  1. a factory management system developed in the late 19th century to increase efficiency by evaluating every step in a manufacturing process and breaking down production into specialized repetitive tasks

Tay·lor series ['tā-lər-] -n

  1. a power series that gives the expansion of a function f( x) in the neighborhood of a point aprovided that in the neighborhood the function is continuous, all its derivatives exist, and the series converges to the function in which case it has the formwhere f n ( a) is the derivative of nth order of f( x) evaluated at a called also Taylor's series

TaySachs disease ['tā-'saks-] -n

  1. a hereditary disorder of lipid metabolism typically affecting individuals of eastern European Jewish ancestry that is characterized by the accumulation of lipids esp. in nervous tissue due to a deficiency of hexosaminidase, that is inherited as a recessive autosomal trait, and that causes death in early childhood called also Tay-Sachs

taz·za ['tät-sə] -n

  1. a shallow cup or vase on a pedestal