Tatar

[ tah-ter ]

noun
  1. a member of a modern Turkic people living in the Tatar Autonomous Republic and adjacent regions of eastern European Russia and in widely scattered communities in western Siberia and central Asia.

  2. the language of this people, including the literary language of the Tatar Autonomous Republic, the dialects of the Tatar Autonomous Republic and adjacent regions of the Volga basin (Volga Tatar ), and numerous other dialects, some transitional to other Turkic languages.

adjective
  1. of or relating to the Tatars or their language.

Origin of Tatar

1
First recorded in 1805–15; see origin at Tartar
  • Also Tartar (for defs. 1-3, 5).

Other words from Tatar

  • Ta·tar·i·an [tah-tair-ee-uhn], /tɑˈtɛər i ən/, Ta·tar·ic [tah-tar-ik], /tɑˈtær ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby Tatar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Tatar in a sentence

  • Fifthly, in 1644 the Tatar invasion occurred with the usual havoc, and the Manchu dynasty was inaugurated.

    The Jesuits, 1534-1921 | Thomas J. Campbell
  • But this time they had no cattle; but they brought a Tatar, dead on his saddle.

    A Russian Proprietor | Lyof N. Tolstoi
  • But the red-bearded Tatar only frowned, and clucked with his tongue.

    A Russian Proprietor | Lyof N. Tolstoi
  • The Tatar was delighted, brought him his old beshmet which was all in rags, and gave it to him.

    A Russian Proprietor | Lyof N. Tolstoi
  • He drew his sabre, spurred his horse straight at the red-bearded Tatar.

    A Russian Proprietor | Lyof N. Tolstoi

British Dictionary definitions for Tatar

Tatar

Tartar

/ (ˈtɑːtə) /


noun
    • a member of a Mongoloid people who under Genghis Khan established a vast and powerful state in central Asia from the 13th century until conquered by Russia in 1552

    • a descendant of this people, now scattered throughout Russia but living chiefly in the Tatar Republic

  1. any of the languages spoken by the present-day Tatars, belonging to various branches of the Turkic family of languages, esp Kazan Tatar

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Tatars

Origin of Tatar

1
C14: from Old French Tartare, from Medieval Latin Tartarus (associated with Latin Tartarus the underworld), from Persian Tātār

Derived forms of Tatar

  • Tatarian (tɑːˈtɛərɪən), Tartarian, Tataric (tɑːˈtærɪk) or Tartaric, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012