tartar

[ tahr-ter ]
/ ˈtɑr tər /

noun

Dentistry. calculus(def 3).
the deposit from wines, potassium bitartrate.
the intermediate product of cream of tartar, obtained from the crude form, argol.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of tartar

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

Words nearby tartar

tart, tart cell, tart up, tartan, tartanry, tartar, tartar emetic, tartar sauce, tartar steak, tartarated, tartare

Definition for tartar (2 of 3)

Tartar1
[ tahr-ter ]
/ ˈtɑr tər /

noun

adjective

of or relating to a Tartar or Tartars; Tartarian.
Tatar(def 5).
Also Tatar (for defs 1, 2, 4, 5, 8).

Origin of Tartar

1
1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin Tartarus, perhaps variant of Tātārus (unattested) < Persian Tātār, by association with Tartarus; replacing Middle English Tartre < Middle French < Medieval Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM Tartar

Tar·tar·ly, adverb

Definition for tartar (3 of 3)

Tartar2
[ tahr-ter ]
/ ˈtɑr tər /

noun Obsolete.

Tartarus.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for tartar

British Dictionary definitions for tartar (1 of 3)

tartar1
/ (ˈtɑːtə) /

noun

dentistry a hard crusty deposit on the teeth, consisting of food, cellular debris, and mineral salts
Also called: argol a brownish-red substance consisting mainly of potassium hydrogen tartrate, present in grape juice and deposited during the fermentation of wine

Word Origin for tartar

C14: from Medieval Latin tartarum, from Medieval Greek tartaron

British Dictionary definitions for tartar (2 of 3)

tartar2
/ (ˈtɑːtə) /

noun

(sometimes capital) a fearsome or formidable person

Word Origin for tartar

C16: special use of Tartar

British Dictionary definitions for tartar (3 of 3)

Tartar
/ (ˈtɑːtə) /

noun, adjective

a variant spelling of Tatar
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

Medical definitions for tartar

tartar
[ tär′tər ]

n.

A hard, yellowish deposit on the teeth, consisting of organic secretions and food particles deposited in various salts, such as calcium carbonate.dental calculus
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for tartar

tartar
[ tär′tər ]

A hard yellowish deposit on the teeth, consisting of organic secretions and food particles deposited in various salts, such as calcium carbonate.
A reddish acid compound consisting of a tartrate of potassium, found in the juice of grapes and deposited on the sides of wine casks.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.