tat
Tat (noun) means (informal, chiefly British) Cheap, tacky, or poor-quality items; junk or trinkets. Example: “The seaside gift shop was full of tat — keyrings, snow globes, the lot.”
How to use tat
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCheap, low-value stuff — or, separately, a tattoo or the craft of knotting decorative lace.
Informal, mostly British usage in the "junk" and "tattoo" senses.
Word forms
tatted past tense, tatted past tense, tats plural, tats plural, tats plural, tats plural, Tats plural, Tat plural, tats singular, tats singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The seaside gift shop was full of _____ — keyrings, snow globes, the lot.
Etymology
The "junk" sense traces back to a Hindi word for coarse canvas cloth (ṭāṭ); the lace-making sense is a separate word thought to come from Scandinavian roots.
Rhymes for tat
See all rhymes for tat →Frequently asked questions
What does “tat” mean?
The word “tat” means (informal, chiefly British) Cheap, tacky, or poor-quality items; junk or trinkets. In plain terms, cheap, low-value stuff — or, separately, a tattoo or the craft of knotting decorative lace.
How do you pronounce “tat”?
“Tat” is pronounced tat (/tæt/ in IPA).
How do you use “tat” in a sentence?
Here is “tat” used in a sentence: “The seaside gift shop was full of tat — keyrings, snow globes, the lot.”
What part of speech is “tat”?
Depending on how it is used, “tat” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “tat” come from?
The word “tat” comes from Hindi. The "junk" sense traces back to a Hindi word for coarse canvas cloth (ṭāṭ); the lace-making sense is a separate word thought to come from Scandinavian roots.
Is “tat” a common word?
“Tat” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “tat” have?
“Tat” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: (informal, chiefly British) Cheap, tacky, or poor-quality items; junk or trinkets.
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