tack

[ tak ]

/ tæk /

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noun

a short, sharp-pointed nail, usually with a flat, broad head.

Nautical.

a rope for extending the lower forward corner of a course.
the lower forward corner of a course or fore-and-aft sail.
the heading of a sailing vessel, when sailing close-hauled, with reference to the wind direction.
a course run obliquely against the wind.
one of the series of straight runs that make up the zigzag course of a ship proceeding to windward.

a course of action or conduct, especially one differing from some preceding or other course.

one of the movements of a zigzag course on land.

a stitch, especially a long stitch used in fastening seams, preparatory to a more thorough sewing.

a fastening, especially of a temporary kind.

stickiness, as of nearly dry paint or glue or of a printing ink or gummed tape; adhesiveness.

the gear used in equipping a horse, including saddle, bridle, martingale, etc.

verb (used with object)

to fasten by a tack or tacks: to tack a rug to the floor.

to secure by some slight or temporary fastening.

to join together; unite; combine.

to attach as something supplementary; append; annex (often followed by on or onto).

Nautical.

to change the course of (a sailing vessel) to the opposite tack.
to navigate (a sailing vessel) by a series of tacks.

to equip (a horse) with tack.

verb (used without object)

Nautical.

to change the course of a sailing vessel by bringing the head into the wind and then causing it to fall off on the other side: He ordered us to tack at once.
(of a sailing vessel) to change course in this way.
to proceed to windward by a series of courses as close to the wind as the vessel will sail.

to take or follow a zigzag course or route.

to change one's course of action, conduct, ideas, etc.

to equip a horse with tack (usually followed by up): Please tack up quickly.

OTHER WORDS FOR tack

12 affix, fasten, add.

See synonyms for tack on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about tack

on the wrong tack, under a misapprehension; in error; astray: His line of questioning began on the wrong tack.

Origin of tack

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tak, take, takke “buckle, clasp, nail” (later, “tack”); “protective metal plate (on a cart),” from Old North French taque “back of a chimney”; cognate with German Zacke “prong, point,” Dutch tak “twig, bough”; the verb is derivative of the noun; see tache, attach

OTHER WORDS FROM tack

tacker, nountackless, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tack

1. tack , tact2. tacks , tax

Other definitions for tack (2 of 3)

tack²

[ tak ]

/ tæk /

noun

food; fare.

Origin of tack

First recorded in 1740–50; origin uncertain

Other definitions for tack (3 of 3)

tack³

[ tak ]

/ tæk /

noun Scot. and North England.

a lease, especially on farmland.

a rented pasture.

a catch, haul, or take of fish.

Origin of tack

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English tak, takke, tac “fee paid to a lord, customary fee,” from Old Norse tak “hold, grasp, seizure, goods”; see origin at take

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tack in a sentence

As of Monday morning, the Reddit crowd’s latest tack was to jack up the price of silver.
Who will pop the GameStop bubble?|Roya Wolverson|February 1, 2021|Quartz
In his case, the field-to-glass movement should have “and back to field, again” tacked onto the end.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Vodka|Debra A. Klein|July 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Baher Mohamed had three more years tacked onto his sentence because he had in his possession a bullet fired at a protest.
Egyptian Court Hands Down Stiff Sentences for Al-Jazeera Journalists|Jesse Rosenfeld|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That Hollywood ending was a re-shoot, tacked on to the end of a brilliant psychological thriller by nervous studio executives.
Return of the Bunny Boiler: Fatal Attraction’s World Stage Premiere|Nico Hines|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

John McCain and Bob Corker, to their credit, supported the aid with the IMF reform tacked on.
The GOP Just Screwed Ukraine Out of Billions to Hurt Obama|Michael Tomasky|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He taps his foot and rests his head on the wall behind him, which is overflowing with thumb-tacked thank-you cards.
Better Call Rosemarie! Meet the Lawyer Suing Christie Over Bridgegate|Olivia Nuzzi|January 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Joseph's brain emptied, fortunately; a man would not want to know that he was tacked to a chair, bleeding to death.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Father Tom says its nothing but old-fashioned shinny with a fancy name tacked onto it, declared Bobby Hargrew.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison
An Italian, an indescribable fool, has tacked himself on to me, and I hardly know how to get rid of him.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
They seemed to agree with her in regarding her genius as a thing tacked on to her, a thing disastrous, undesirable.
The Creators|May Sinclair
He twisted the loose ends back and tacked the flat arch thus made to the top and inner posts of the trellis.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton

British Dictionary definitions for tack (1 of 4)

tack¹

/ (tæk) /

noun

a short sharp-pointed nail, usually with a flat and comparatively large head

British a long loose temporary stitch used in dressmaking, etc

See tailor's-tack

a temporary fastening

stickiness, as of newly applied paint, varnish, etc

nautical the heading of a vessel sailing to windward, stated in terms of the side of the sail against which the wind is pressing

nautical

a course sailed by a sailing vessel with the wind blowing from forward of the beam
one such course or a zigzag pattern of such courses

nautical

a sheet for controlling the weather clew of a course
the weather clew itself

nautical the forward lower clew of a fore-and-aft sail

a course of action differing from some previous coursehe went off on a fresh tack

on the wrong tack under a false impression

verb

(tr) to secure by a tack or series of tacks

British to sew (something) with long loose temporary stitches

(tr) to attach or appendtack this letter onto the other papers

nautical to change the heading of (a sailing vessel) to the opposite tack

nautical to steer (a sailing vessel) on alternate tacks

(intr) nautical (of a sailing vessel) to proceed on a different tack or to alternate tacks

(intr) to follow a zigzag route; keep changing one's course of action

Derived forms of tack

tackless, adjective

Word Origin for tack

C14 tak fastening, nail; related to Middle Low German tacke pointed instrument

British Dictionary definitions for tack (2 of 4)

tack²

/ (tæk) /

noun

informal food, esp when regarded as inferior or distastefulSee also hardtack

Word Origin for tack

C19: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for tack (3 of 4)

tack³

/ (tæk) /

noun

riding harness for horses, such as saddles, bridles, etc
(as modifier)the tack room

Word Origin for tack

C20: shortened from tackle

British Dictionary definitions for tack (4 of 4)

tack⁴

/ (tæk) /

noun Scot

a lease

an area of land held on a lease

Word Origin for tack

C15: from tak a Scots word for take

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with tack

tack

see get down to brass tacks; on the right tack; sharp as a tack.

tack

OTHER WORDS FOR tack

Idioms about tack

Origin of tack

OTHER WORDS FROM tack

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tack

Other definitions for tack (2 of 3)

Origin of tack

Other definitions for tack (3 of 3)

Origin of tack

Words related to tack

How to use tack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tack (1 of 4)

Derived forms of tack

Word Origin for tack

British Dictionary definitions for tack (2 of 4)

Word Origin for tack

British Dictionary definitions for tack (3 of 4)

Word Origin for tack

British Dictionary definitions for tack (4 of 4)

Word Origin for tack

Other Idioms and Phrases with tack