tartar

¹ American  

[tahr-ter] / ˈtɑr tər /

noun

1. Dentistry. calculus.

2. the deposit from wines, potassium bitartrate.

3. the intermediate product of cream of tartar, obtained from the crude form, argol.

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Tartar ² American  

[tahr-ter] / ˈtɑr tər /

noun

1. a member of any of the various tribes, chiefly Mongolian and Turkish, who, originally under the leadership of Genghis Khan, overran Asia and much of eastern Europe in the Middle Ages.

2. a member of the descendants of this people variously intermingled with other peoples and tribes, now inhabiting parts of the European and western and central Asian Russian Federation.

3. Tatar.

4. (often lowercase) a savage, intractable person.

5. (often lowercase) an ill-tempered person.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a Tartar or Tartars; Tartarian.

2. Tatar.

idioms

1. catch a Tartar, to deal with someone or something that proves unexpectedly troublesome or powerful. Also catch a tartar.

Tartar ³ American  

[tahr-ter] / ˈtɑr tər /

noun

Obsolete.

1. Tartarus.

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tartar ¹ British  

/ ˈtɑːtə /

noun

1. (sometimes capital) a fearsome or formidable person

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tartar ² British  

/ ˈtɑːtə /

noun

1. dentistry a hard crusty deposit on the teeth, consisting of food, cellular debris, and mineral salts

2. Also called: argol.  a brownish-red substance consisting mainly of potassium hydrogen tartrate, present in grape juice and deposited during the fermentation of wine

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Tartar ³ British  

/ ˈtɑːtə /

noun

1. a variant spelling of Tatar

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tartar Scientific  

/ tär′tər /

1. A hard yellowish deposit on the teeth, consisting of organic secretions and food particles deposited in various salts, such as calcium carbonate.

2. A reddish acid compound consisting of a tartrate of potassium, found in the juice of grapes and deposited on the sides of wine casks.

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Other Word Forms

• Tartarly adverb

Etymology

Origin of tartar¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin tartarum < Late Greek tártaron; replacing Middle English tartre < Middle French < Medieval Latin, as above

Origin of Tartar²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin Tartarus, perhaps variant of Tātārus (unattested), from Persian Tātār, by association with Tartarus; replacing Middle English Tartre, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin, as above

Example Sentences

More than a thousand microfossils were recovered from the tartar.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2025

There’s truly nothing like an unexpected kick of horseradish cutting through creamy tartar and crisp, crunchy fish fillets.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024

One way to achieve slightly soured milk is by adding some lemon juice or cream of tartar to milk.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2024

The hotel’s front patio serves as outdoor dining space for Cafe Fig, a popular all-day Mediterranean restaurant featuring dishes like cauliflower bites, tuna tartar tostadas and truffle fries.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2024

She ask about hard water stains and I tell her cream of tartar.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett