tart

[ 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.

RELATED WORDS

sour, bitterness, acidity, acridity

Nearby words

Origin of tart

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tartness

Some dried cranberries for tartness and a sprinkle of sea salt make these my all-time favorite cookies.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies|Ina Garten|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Perhaps I did, and perhaps I did not," she answered, matching his tartness.
The Quickening|Francis Lynde
Their tartness and strictness and miserliness had made the life of the girls in the school uncomfortable for some time.
Billie Bradley on Lighthouse Island|Janet D. Wheeler
"I must leave that to you to guess," said Mary, with a hint of tartness, but smiling.
The Matador of the Five Towns and Other Stories|Arnold Bennett

"If it is, I'll add an extra fifty to my Red Cross subscription," rejoined his father with some tartness.
The Girls of Central High Aiding the Red Cross|Gertrude W. Morrison
The tartness of the barberry matches the crispness of the air and rebukes the lack of vigor in us.
In the Open|Stanton Davis Kirkham

British Dictionary definitions for tartness

tart

/ (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

tart

/ (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

tart

/ (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

Word Origin and History for tartness

tart

n.2

"prostitute," 1887, from earlier use as a term of endearment to a girl or woman (1864), sometimes said to be a shortening of sweetheart. But another theory traces it to jam-tart (see tart (n.1)), which was British slang early 19c. for "attractive woman." To tart (something) up is from 1938.

tart

adj.

"having a sharp taste," late 14c., perhaps from Old English teart "painful, sharp, severe" (in reference to punishment, pain, suffering), of unknown origin; possibly related to the root of teran "to tear." Figurative use, with reference to words, speech, etc., is attested from c.1600.

tart

n.1

"small pie," c.1400, from Old French tarte "flat, open-topped pastry" (13c.), possibly an alteration of torte, from Late Latin torta "round loaf of bread" (in Medieval Latin "a cake, tart"), infl. in Middle English by tart (adj.).

tart

adjective, tart·er, tart·est.

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of tart

Examples from the Web for tartness

tart

noun

Word Origin for tart

tart

adjective

Word Origin for tart

tart

noun

Word Origin for tart

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