English Explanatory Dictionary

tart

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
  2. High or too high in acidity.
  3. Sharp; keen; severe.
noun
  1. A type of small open pie, or piece of pastry, now typically containing jelly (US) / jam (UK) or conserve, or sometimes other fillings (chocolate, custard, egg, butter, historically even meat or other savory fillings).
  2. A melt (block of wax for use in a tart burner).
noun
  1. A prostitute.
  2. Any woman with loose sexual morals.
verb
  1. To practice prostitution.
  2. To practice promiscuous sex.
  3. To dress garishly, ostentatiously, whorishly, or sluttily.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/tɑɹt/ /tɑːt/ En-au-tart.ogg

Word forms

tart tarter tartest tarts tarting tarted

Etymology

From Middle English tart, from Old English teart (“sharp, rough, severe”), from Proto-West Germanic *tart, from Proto-Germanic *tartaz (“rough, sharp, tearing”), from Proto-Germanic *teraną (“to tear”), from Proto-Indo-European *der- (“to flay, split, cleave”). Related to Scots tairt (“tart; tartness”), Dutch tarten (“to defy, challenge, mock”), German trotzen (“to defy, brave, mock”), perhaps Albanian thartë (“sour, acid, sharp”).

Synonyms

green

Related words

tort torta torte torture

Derived words

overtart tart cherry tarten tartly tartness tartish tarty Bakewell tart Banbury tart butter tart chess tart custard tart egg custard tart egg tart gooseberry tart gypsy tart kueh tart kuih tart Linzer tart maid-of-honor tart maid of honor tart maid of honour tart maid-of-honour tart maids of honour tart Manchester tart minitart neenish tart pineapple tart raspberry tart snake tart taffety tart tart ring tartwoman treacle tart tartlike card tart cart tart credit card tart rate tart tart card tartlet pop tart tart up
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