tartar
[ tahr-ter ]
/ ˈtɑr tər /
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noun
Dentistry. calculus (def. 3).
the deposit from wines, potassium bitartrate.
the intermediate product of cream of tartar, obtained from the crude form, argol.
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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
tarsus, TAR syndrome, tart, tartan, tartanry, tartar, tartarated, tartare, Tartarean, tartar emetic, tartare sauce
Definition for tartar (2 of 3)
Also Tatar (for defs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 8).
Origin of Tartar
1First 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
OTHER WORDS FROM Tartar
Tar·tar·ly, adverbDefinition for tartar (3 of 3)
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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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.