tau

[ tou, taw for 1, 2, 4; tahv, tawv for 3 ]

/ taʊ, tɔ for 1, 2, 4; tɑv, tɔv for 3 /

Save This Word!

noun

the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet (T, τ).

the consonant sound represented by this letter.

tav.

Also tau·on

[tou-on] /ˈtaʊ ɒn/ .Physics. tau lepton.

Also called tau protein .Biochemistry. a protein that is an important component of nerve cells, helping to maintain their function and structure: in the brain, distortions in the protein’s molecular shape is associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of tau

1250–1300; Middle English <Latin <Greek taû<Semitic; cf. tav

Words nearby tau

tattoo, tattva, tat tvam asi, tatty, Tatum, tau, Taubaté, Tauber, Tauchnitz, tau cross, taught

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tau in a sentence

In Alzheimer’s disease, tau starts to misbehave, forming clumps inside brain cells, interfering with their ability to communicate with one another.
We Just Got a Lot Closer to Finding a Cure for Alzheimer's|Hannah Thomasy|October 29, 2021|The Daily Beast
Reducing the accumulation of these tau clumps might be one way to fight Alzheimer’s disease, but first, scientists have to figure out how the accumulation is actually happening.
We Just Got a Lot Closer to Finding a Cure for Alzheimer's|Hannah Thomasy|October 29, 2021|The Daily Beast
Similarly, there are six “leptons” which include the electron, a heavier cousin called the muon, and the still heavier tau, each of which has an associated neutrino.
CERN: How We’re Probing the Universe’s Origins Using Record Precision Measurements|Martha Hilton|June 24, 2021|Singularity Hub
There were lesions, an accumulation of tau protein around blood vessels and in crevices, and a brain that was 20 percent smaller than it should have been, McKee said in an interview.
More football leads to worse CTE, scientists say. Consider NFL great Willie Wood.|Rick Maese|March 12, 2021|Washington Post

The tau protein is also known for forming the protein aggregates that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.
A Newfound Source of Cellular Order in the Chemistry of Life|Viviane Callier|January 7, 2021|Quanta Magazine
One of these things is tau, another protein used in cells to hold open channels so they can receive nutrients.
Twenty Years of Alzheimer’s Research May Have Focused on the Wrong Protein|Elizabeth Lopatto|April 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But thanks to funnyman Harold Ramis and Delta Tau Chi he launched an era of laughter.
How Harold Ramis Invented Baby Boom Comedy With ‘Animal House’|P. J. O’Rourke|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Though let the record show, I might never had gotten this job if it wasn't for Byron Tau.
What I Saw On The Blog|Noah Kristula-Green|August 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Gray broke the color barrier when he pledged Tau Epsilon Phi.
A Talk with D.C.'s New Mayor|Sandra McElwaine|November 2, 2010|DAILY BEAST
She is the winner of six Front Page awards for her journalism and the Frank Luther Mott Kappa Tau Alpha Award for research.
Women in the World Speakers|The Daily Beast|March 8, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The gallows from which he is suspended forms a Tau cross, while the figure—from the position of the legs—forms a fylfot cross.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot|L. W. de Laurence
The inner circle depicts a triple Tau, with a hexagram where the bases join, and beneath is the Ace of Cups.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot|L. W. de Laurence
Delta and Tau, from the compression of the tongue, imitate stoppage of motion, or stationary condition.
Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume III (of 4)|George Grote
Trimorphodon latifascia differs from tau in having fewer dark cross-bands on the body and in lacking an interocular bar.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacn, Mxico|William E. Duellman
The relationships of this species are with Trimorphodon tau on the Mexican Plateau.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacn, Mxico|William E. Duellman

British Dictionary definitions for tau

tau

/ (tɔː, taʊ) /

noun

the 19th letter in the Greek alphabet (Τ, τ), a consonant, transliterated as t

Word Origin for tau

C13: via Latin from Greek, of Semitic origin; see tav

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