definitions
  • synonyms

tart

1
[ tahrt ]
/ tɑrt /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tart ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, tart·er, tart·est.

sharp to the taste; sour or acid: Tart apples are best for pie.
sharp in character, spirit, or expression; cutting; biting: a tart remark.

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RELATED WORDS

dry, short, astringent, cutting, caustic, sharp, acid, wounding, bun, roll, Danish, pie, eclair, popover, turnover, acerbic, acidulous, acrimonious, barbed, biting

Nearby words

tarsoplasty, tarsorrhaphy, tarsotarsal, tarsotomy, tarsus, tart, tart cell, tart up, tartan, tartanry, tartar

Origin of tart

1
before 1000; Middle English; Old English teart sharp, rough; akin to Dutch tarten to defy, Middle High German traz defiance
Related formstart·ish, adjectivetart·ish·ly, adverbtart·ly, adverbtart·ness, noun

Definition for tart (2 of 2)

tart

2
[ tahrt ]
/ tɑrt /

noun

a small pie filled with cooked fruit or other sweetened preparation, usually having no top crust.
a covered pie containing fruit or the like.
Slang. a prostitute or promiscuous woman.

Verb Phrases

tart up, Slang. to adorn, dress, or decorate, especially in a flamboyant manner: The old restaurant was tarted up to look like a Viennese café.

Origin of tart

2
1350–1400; 1905–10 for def 3; Middle English tarte < Middle French; compare Medieval Latin tarta
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tart

British Dictionary definitions for tart (1 of 3)

tart

1
/ (tɑːt) /

noun

a pastry case often having no top crust, with a sweet or savoury filling

Word Origin for tart

C14: from Old French tarte, of uncertain origin; compare Medieval Latin tarte

British Dictionary definitions for tart (2 of 3)

tart

2
/ (tɑːt) /

adjective

(of a flavour, food, etc) sour, acid, or astringent
cutting, sharp, or caustica tart remark
Derived Formstartish, adjectivetartishly, adverbtartly, adverbtartness, noun

Word Origin for tart

Old English teart rough; related to Dutch tarten to defy, Middle High German traz defiance

British Dictionary definitions for tart (3 of 3)

tart

3
/ (tɑːt) /

noun

informal a promiscuous woman, esp a prostitute: often a term of abuseSee also tart up
Derived Formstarty, adjective

Word Origin for tart

C19: shortened from sweetheart
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