tackle

[ tak-uhl tey-kuhl ]

noun

1. equipment, apparatus, or gear, especially for fishing:

   fishing tackle.

2. a mechanism or apparatus, as a rope and block or a combination of ropes and blocks, for hoisting, lowering, and shifting objects or materials; purchase.
3. any system of leverage using several pulleys.
4. Nautical. the gear and running rigging for handling a ship or performing some task on a ship.
5. an act of tackling, as in football; a seizing, grasping, or bringing down.
6. Football.
   1. either of the linemen stationed between a guard and an end.
   2. the position played by this lineman.
7. (formerly) tack ¹( def 8 ).

verb (used with object)

, tack·led, tack·ling.

1. to undertake to handle, master, solve, etc.:

   to tackle a difficult problem.

2. to deal with (a person) on some problem, issue, etc.
3. to harness (a horse).
4. Football. to seize, stop, or throw down (a ball-carrier).
5. Soccer, Field Hockey. to block or impede the movement or progress of (an opponent having the ball) with the result of depriving the opponent of the ball.
6. to seize suddenly, especially in order to stop.

verb (used without object)

, tack·led, tack·ling.

1. Football. to tackle an opponent having the ball.

tackle

/ ˈtækəl; ˈteɪkəl /

noun

1. any mechanical system for lifting or pulling, esp an arrangement of ropes and pulleys designed to lift heavy weights
2. the equipment required for a particular occupation, etc

   fishing tackle

3. nautical the halyards and other running rigging aboard a vessel
4. slang.
   a man's genitals
5. sport a physical challenge to an opponent, as to prevent his progress with the ball
6. American football a defensive lineman

verb

1. tr to undertake (a task, problem, etc)
2. tr to confront (a person, esp an opponent) with a difficult proposition
3. sport (esp in football games) to challenge (an opponent) with a tackle

Derived Forms

• ˈtackler, noun

Other Words From

• tackler noun
• re·tackle verb (used with object) retackled retackling

Word History and Origins

Origin of tackle¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English takel “gear, apparatus,” from Middle Low German; akin to take

Word History and Origins

Origin of tackle¹

C13: related to Middle Low German takel ship's rigging, Middle Dutch taken to take

Example Sentences

Huffing and puffing and running your bodies into each other on the football field is not a that big of a problem, because they’re usually playing outdoors, and the close contact of a tackle is relatively quick.

From Eater

Bait, about the size of small dog biscuits, can be purchased from a coastal feed, hardware, or tackle store.

From Popular-Science

So, he lines up across Pittsburgh Steelers, nose tackle, twice a year.

From Freakonomics

The defense is typically willing to allow an offense to throw to wide-open players short, then rally to make a tackle for a short gain.

From FiveThirtyEight

Also among top NFL opt-outs were guard Larry Warford, who’s been named to the Pro Bowl three years running, and Nate Solder, one of the best offensive tackles of the past decade.

From FiveThirtyEight

But there was still a paper to get out in Washington, and I went there late in the afternoon to tackle the dismal job.

From The Daily Beast

A hulking defender breaks into the backfield and takes him down with a vicious clothesline tackle.

From The Daily Beast

It was inspiration enough to help us tackle the usually dreaded summer to fall wardrobe transition.

From The Daily Beast

What were the biggest hurdles for you on The Sopranos as far as storylines to tackle, or storylines to wrap up?

From The Daily Beast

India has little or nothing to contribute to American efforts to tackle the crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, and Iraq.

From The Daily Beast

So we held council of war with Piegan, after which we saddled up and made ready to tackle the soaked prairies.

From Project Gutenberg

“I shall tackle that difficulty about this hour to-morrow,” he communed, with a laugh at his own expense.

From Project Gutenberg

If some them men folks tackle them on the road to table, there won't be nothin' left of them but the plate.

From Project Gutenberg

Five of the crew manned the winch; the mate and Jerry went to a block-tackle which was also connected with the lifting apparatus.

From Project Gutenberg

The fish are taken by trawling great nets and drawing them aboard with a special tackle.

From Project Gutenberg