tart1
- sharp to the taste; sour or acid: Tart apples are best for pie.
- sharp in character, spirit, or expression; cutting; biting: a tart remark.
Origin of tart1
Examples from the Web for tartness
Contemporary Examples
Some dried cranberries for tartness and a sprinkle of sea salt make these my all-time favorite cookies.
Historical Examples
There was a tartness in his tone evoked by the tartness she had used.
Captain BloodRafael Sabatini
"You mean you never formed any, I suppose," I returned with some tartness.
The Celebrity, CompleteWinston Churchill
Some of these had at least the merit of tartness and humour.
Bibliomania; or Book-MadnessThomas Frognall Dibdin
Sprinkle a little flour and sugar, according to the tartness of the fruit.
The Vegetarian Cook BookE. G. Fulton
I was glad to see how free the answer was from all tartness or conceit.
George Eliot's Life, Vol. II (of 3)George Eliot
tart1
- a pastry case often having no top crust, with a sweet or savoury filling
Word Origin
tart2
- (of a flavour, food, etc) sour, acid, or astringent
- cutting, sharp, or caustica tart remark
Word Origin
tart3
- informal a promiscuous woman, esp a prostitute: often a term of abuseSee also tart up
Word Origin
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.).