English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Tarr

name

An English surname, possibly derived from a place name or occupational term.

tarradiddle

noun

A small, unimportant lie.

tarragon

noun

A herb with slender aromatic leaves, related to wormwood, used to flavour food.

tarry

verb

(literary) To stay somewhere longer than planned, or to delay leaving.

tarrying

noun

The act of tarrying: waiting about or lingering behind.

tarse

noun

The tarsus, the group of small bones that make up the ankle.

tarsier

noun

A small, insect-eating primate with very large eyes and long feet, found mainly on islands in Southeast Asia.

tarsometatarsus

noun

A large bone in a bird's leg that connects to its foot, matching bones in the mammal ankle and foot.

tarsus

noun

The group of small bones forming the ankle and upper foot in humans and other vertebrates.

tart

adj

Having a sharp, sour taste.

tartan

noun

A woven pattern of criss-crossing coloured stripes, traditionally associated with Scottish clans, or fabric with this pattern.

tartar

noun

A hard yellowish deposit that builds up on teeth from unremoved plaque.

tartare

adj

Finely chopped and served raw, especially of meat or fish.

tartarean

adj

Connected with Tartarus.

tartarian

noun

Any of several kinds of cherry, including a sweet Russian variety and an early nineteenth-century French one.

Tartarus

name

In Greek and Roman mythology, the deep, dark abyss below the underworld where the wicked and defeated gods (like the Titans) were punished.

tartish

adj

Slightly sharp or sour in taste.

tartness

noun

A sharp, sour taste.

tarty

adj

(informal) Dressing or behaving in a way seen as sexually provocative.

Tarun

name

A male given name of Sanskrit origin, common in India.

Taryn

name

A female given name.

Tarzan

name

A fictional hero raised by apes in the African jungle, known for his strength and agility.

TAS

verb

In gaming slang, to make or take part in a tool-assisted speedrun — completing a video game unusually fast or precisely with the help of emulator tools like slow-motion or frame-by-frame input.

tase

verb

To use a taser (an electroshock stun gun) on someone.

taser

noun

A handheld device that fires electrified darts or delivers a shock to temporarily disable a person.

Tash

name

A shortened, informal form of the name Natasha.

Tasha

name

A shortened, informal form of the name Natasha.

task

noun

A specific piece of work that needs to be done.

taskmaster

noun

Someone who assigns work to others and expects it to be done, often demanding or strict about it.

Tasmania

name

An island state of Australia off its southeastern coast, with Hobart as its capital.

tassel

noun

A hanging bundle of threads or cords, tied at one end, used as decoration.

tassie

noun

(informal) Someone from Tasmania.

taste

noun

The sensation produced when food or drink is detected by the tongue, or the ability to perceive it.

tasteful

adj

Showing good judgement or refinement in style, appearance, or behaviour.

tasteless

adj

Having no flavour; bland.

taster

noun

A person whose job is to sample food or drink to judge its quality, or to check it isn't poisoned before it reaches someone important.

tasting

noun

An organised event where people sample small amounts of food or drink, usually to compare and judge them.

tasty

adj

Having a good, enjoyable flavour.

tat

noun

(informal, chiefly British) Cheap, tacky, or poor-quality items; junk or trinkets.

Tata

name

A surname of Indian origin, most notably borne by the founders of the Tata business conglomerate.

tatar

name

An agglutinative Turkic language of the Altai group, official in Tatarstan, with roughly eight million speakers across Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

tate

noun

In video games, a mode where the screen is oriented vertically.

tater

noun

An informal word for a potato.

taters

adj

British slang meaning very cold.

Tates

name

An English surname, a patronymic form of Tate, itself from an Old Norse name meaning "cheerful."

Tatiana

name

A feminine given name of Russian origin, derived from the Roman family name Tatius.

Tatsumi

name

A Japanese given name and surname, often meaning "born in the year of the dragon-snake."

tatter

noun

A torn scrap of cloth, or an item of clothing that is ripped and worn out.

tatterdemalion

noun

Someone dressed in ragged, torn clothes.

tattered

adj

Torn into rags or shreds; ragged from wear or damage.

tatters

noun

Torn scraps or shreds of cloth, paper, or similar material.

tattle

verb

To gossip or chatter, especially about other people's business.

tattler

noun

Someone who tells on other people, often to get them into trouble.

tattletale

noun

(informal, chiefly North American) Someone, especially a child, who reports on other people's misbehaviour, often just to get them in trouble.

tattoo

noun

A permanent design made on the skin by injecting ink with a needle.

tattooed

adj

Marked with one or more tattoos.

tattooing

noun

The practice or process of marking skin permanently with ink using a needle.

tatty

adj

(informal) Old, worn and in poor condition.

Tatum

name

A habitational surname of Old English origin.

Tau

name

A surname found in Chinese and African communities, also the name of a Greek letter used as a mathematical constant.

Taub

name

A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word for "dove."

taughten

verb

To make something tighter, or to grow more intense.

taunt

verb

To mock or provoke someone with insulting remarks, often to get a reaction.

taunting

adj

Mocking or provocative in tone.

Taurus

noun

The second sign of the zodiac, represented by the bull, covering roughly late April to late May.

taut

adj

Pulled or stretched tight, with no slack.

tauten

verb

To make something tight or tense.

tautness

noun

The state of being tight or tense.

tautological

adj

Connected with or making use of tautology.

tautology

noun

The needless repetition of an idea in different words, such as "free gift" or "a new innovation".

tavern

noun

An establishment that serves alcoholic drinks, and sometimes food, often with a traditional or old-fashioned feel.

tawaif

noun

(derogatory) A courtesan who entertained the nobility, particularly under the Mughal Empire.

tawdriness

noun

The state of being tawdry.

tawdry

adj

Cheap-looking and showy; gaudy in a low-quality way.

Tawney

name

An English surname, a variant of "Tawny," originally describing someone with a tan or brownish complexion.

Tawni

name

A feminine given name, a modern spelling variant of "Tawny," referring to a warm brownish color.

tawny

adj

Of a light brownish-orange colour, like a lion's coat.

tax

noun

Money that a government requires people or businesses to pay, used to fund public services.

taxation

noun

The system or process by which a government collects taxes.

taxed

adj

Subject to a tax, or having had tax charged on it.

taxi

noun

A car that can be hired, along with a driver, to take passengers to a destination for a fare.

taxicab

noun

A car for hire with a driver, used to carry passengers for a fare; a taxi.

taxidermist

noun

A person whose craft is preserving and mounting animal skins to look lifelike for display.

taxidermy

noun

The craft of preserving, stuffing, and mounting animal skins so they look lifelike.

taxing

adj

Mentally or physically demanding; exhausting.

taxis

noun

The movement of an organism toward or away from a stimulus, such as light or chemicals.

taxman

noun

(informal) A tax collector, or the tax authority in general.

taxonomy

noun

A system for sorting things into named groups and levels, so that related items sit together and each has a defined place.

taxpayer

noun

A person or business that pays, or is required to pay, tax.

tay

noun

An informal or dialect spelling of tea, reflecting an older pronunciation.

Taylor

name

A common English and Scottish surname, originally an occupational name for someone who made or altered clothes (a tailor).

Taz

name

A nickname given to someone who is very active, ferocious or has a great appetite.

TB

noun

Tuberculosis: an infectious disease caused by a bacterium, usually attacking the lungs and spread through the air by coughing, and treatable with a long course of antibiotics.

TBA

abbreviation

To be announced: used in place of a detail such as a date, venue, price or line-up that has been decided or is being arranged but has not yet been made public.

TBD

abbreviation

To be determined, or to be decided: used as a placeholder for something that has not yet been worked out or agreed.

TBH

abbreviation

To be honest: used in messages and online posts to introduce a frank opinion, often one that is slightly critical or unexpected.

tbsp

noun

Written abbreviation of tablespoon, a standard cooking measure equal to three teaspoons, about 15 millilitres in the UK and US and 20 millilitres in Australia.

tch

intj

A clicking sound made with the tongue against the teeth, written out to show annoyance or disapproval.

Tchaikovsky

name

A Russian surname, most famously borne by the 19th-century composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

tchotchke

noun

A small, cheap ornament or trinket.

TCS

noun

Tata Consultancy Services, an Indian multinational information technology and consulting company and part of the Tata Group; one of the largest IT employers in the world.

TD

noun

Touchdown: in American and Canadian football, a score of six points made by taking the ball into the opponents' end zone.

tdt

noun

terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase

te

noun

In solfège (the do-re-mi system used in music), the syllable for the seventh note of a major scale.

te amo

phrase

A Spanish and Portuguese phrase meaning "I love you", used for deep or romantic love.

tea

noun

The dried leaves of the tea plant, or the hot drink made by steeping them in water.

teabag

noun

A small paper or cloth sachet filled with tea leaves, used to make tea by steeping it in hot water.

teaberry

noun

A berry which is the fruit of a small shrub native to northeastern North America, Gaultheria procumbens (eastern teaberry, American wintergreen, boxberry, checkerberry, partridgeberry).

teach

verb

To help someone learn a skill or subject by explaining or demonstrating it.

teacher

noun

A person whose job is to help students learn, especially in a school.

teaching

noun

A belief or principle put forward by a religious, philosophical, or other respected authority.

teacup

noun

A small cup, usually with a handle, used for drinking tea.

teacupful

noun

The amount that a teacup will hold.

Teague

noun

A dated and now offensive term for an Irishman.

teahouse

noun

A cafe or small restaurant that specialises in serving tea, often with light snacks.

teak

noun

A very hard, durable wood from the teak tree, prized for furniture and shipbuilding.

teakettle

noun

A kettle used to boil water for making tea or other hot drinks.

teakwood

noun

Timber from the teak tree.

teal

noun

A small, brightly coloured freshwater duck.

team

noun

A group of people working or playing together toward a shared goal.

teamed

adj

Joined together with others as part of a team.

teaming

noun

The act of forming or working as a team.

teammate

noun

A person who is on the same team as someone else.

teamster

noun

Someone who controls a team of working animals, for instance horses or oxen.

Teamsters

name

The Teamsters, a major North American labour union representing truck drivers and other workers.

teamwork

noun

The combined effort of a group working together toward a common goal.

teapot

noun

A container with a handle, spout, and lid, used for brewing and pouring tea.

tear

verb

To pull something apart or make a hole in it by force.

tearaway

noun

(informal) A wild, reckless person who is hard to keep in check.

teardown

noun

A building in good condition that is bought only to be knocked down so something new can be put up in its place.

teardrop

noun

A single drop of tear fluid, or the rounded shape of such a drop.

teare

name

A surname of Scottish Gaelic origin.

tearful

adj

Crying, or on the verge of crying.

tearfully

adv

In a manner marked by crying or strong emotion.

tearing

adj

Informal: very great or impressive in size or effect.

tearoom

noun

A café that serves tea, usually along with light snacks.

tears

noun

The thin streaks that trickle down inside a wine glass after the wine has been swirled around.

teary

adj

Having eyes filled with tears, or inclined to cry.

tease

verb

To poke fun at someone playfully or, sometimes, unkindly.

teaser

noun

A short preview released ahead of a film, show, or product to build excitement.

teasing

noun

Playful or provoking behaviour directed at someone, often through jokes or ribbing.

teaspoon

noun

A small spoon used for stirring drinks or eating small amounts of food.

teaspoonful

noun

The amount a teaspoon holds, roughly 5 millilitres.

teat

noun

The nipple-like projection on a mammal's udder or breast through which milk is drawn.

teatime

noun

The traditional time in the late afternoon for tea and a light snack.

tebbs

name

A family name that began as a patronymic.

tech

noun

Informal short form of technology.

Tech Whack

name

A common two-word spelling of TechWhack, the free online tools website. The site itself writes the name as one word.

techie

noun

(informal) Someone who is skilled with, or keen on, computers and technology.

technetium

noun

A metallic chemical element with the symbol Tc and atomic number 43.