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• tai
  tai

  noun

  any of several sparoid fishes of the Pacific Ocean, as Pagrus major red tai, a food fish of Japan.
• Tai
  Tai

  noun

  a group of languages spoken in SE Asia, including Thai, Lao, and Shan.
• TAI
  TAI

  abbreviation

  International Atomic Time

tai

¹ American  

[tahy] / taɪ /

noun

plural

tai

1. any of several sparoid fishes of the Pacific Ocean, as Pagrus major red tai, a food fish of Japan.

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Tai ² American  

[tahy, tah-ee] / taɪ, ˈtɑ i /

noun

1. a group of languages spoken in SE Asia, including Thai, Lao, and Shan.

2. Thai.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Tai.

2. Thai.

TAI ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. International Atomic Time

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Tai ² British  

/ taɪ /

adjective

1. a variant spelling of Thai

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Etymology

Origin of tai

1615–25; < Japanese ta ( w ) i, earlier tafi

Example Sentences

She says she is adjusting to the sound of banging gates and jingling keys at Tai Lam Correctional Institution - a complex of concrete and razor wire that overlooks a thin strip of water.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Trade Representative Katherine Tai advocates an “out of the box” trade approach amid U.S.-China rivalry and AI.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Debbie has been setting a quiz and a fellow traveller has been leading daily Tai Chi sessions.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

On his podcast “The Tai Lopez Show” and in his social-media posts, Lopez, who is 48 years old, hasn’t addressed the company’s collapse and the heavy losses incurred by his investors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

I can overhear Tai and Miss Saunders talking.

From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake