tad

[ tad ]

/ tæd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tad ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Informal.

a small child, especially a boy.

a very small amount or degree; bit: Please shift your chair a tad to the right. The frosting could use a tad more vanilla.

Nearby words

Origin of tad

1875–80, Americanism, for def 1; 1935–40, Americanism, for def 2; perhaps shortening of tadpole

Tad

[ tad ]

/ tæd /

noun

a male given name, form of Thaddeus or Theodore.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tad

Joe Sutter is 93 now, silver-haired and moving a tad more slowly than he would like, but still pugnacious and sharp of tongue.
The Sexy Dream of the 747|Clive Irving|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Onscreen, Teller is a bit like a young Vince Vaughn—gregarious, charming, and a tad suspicious.
Miles Teller’s Movie Star Moment: From the Brink of Death to ‘Whiplash’|Marlow Stern|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even so, I feel a tad guilty to be depriving him of the opportunity.
Method Man Talks Wu-Tang Clan Reunion, Fake Rappers, and the Suge Knight Shooting|Marlow Stern|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When a 16-year-old takes on that wide-eyed, touched-for-the-very-first-time role, it all comes off as a tad more…juvenile.
Why 'The Giver' Movie Will Disappoint the Book's Fans|Kevin Fallon|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Because we know she was once a tad more regular, and she feels like an old friend, and we watched her become who she is today.
Face It—We Rubes Will Never Live Like Gwyneth and Jennifer Aniston|Rachel Bertsche|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tad, after he had donned his clothes, returned to the scene of the conflict.
The Pony Rider Boys in New England|Frank Gee Patchin
Big-foot Sanders and Tad Butler, nearly half a mile ahead, felt the impetus, too.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas|Frank Gee Patchin
Except for Tad, who still refused to ride, his family would be dry.
The Lost Wagon|James Arthur Kjelgaard
Tad was using his eyes to good purpose, but trying not to let the man know that he was doing so.
The Pony Rider Boys in Louisiana|Frank Gee Patchin
Had Tad not had presence of mind they both might have perished right there.
The Pony Rider Boys in New Mexico|Frank Gee Patchin

British Dictionary definitions for tad

tad

/ (tæd) /

noun informal

US and Canadian a small boy; lad

US and Canadian a small bit or piece

a tad a little; rathershe may be a tad short but she got a top modelling job

Word Origin for tad

C20: short for tadpole

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

Word Origin and History for tad

tad

1877, "young or small child," probably a shortened form of tadpole, which is said to be the source of Tad as the nickname of U.S. President Lincoln's son Thomas (1853–1871). The extended meaning "small amount" is first recorded 1915.

Medicine definitions for tad

TAD

abbr.

transient acantholytic dermatosis

tad