tannic

American

[tan-ik] / ˈtæn ɪk /

adjective

Chemistry. of, relating to, or derived from tan or tannin.
(of wine) having an astringent taste imparted by the presence of tannin.

tannic British

/ ˈtænɪk /

adjective

of, relating to, containing, or produced from tan, tannin, or tannic acid

"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 Word Forms

nontannic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of tannic

1825–35; tan ¹ or tann(in) + -ic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

tannic

Unlike farmed varieties, many apple seedlings produce the bitter, tannic, intensely flavored fruit suited to hard ciders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025

The team applied metal-polyphenol nano-coating technology based on tannic acid to improve performance and durability.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024

Though a dry selection like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc is the classic addition here, Tulloch suggests swapping in a skin contact, or orange, wine for a bit more tannic complexity.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 18, 2024

The giant trees resist burning thanks to the bark, up to about 30 centimeters thick at the base, which contains tannic acids that retard flames.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 1, 2023

This much I knew: in order to tan hide, it has to be steeped in tannic acid.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023