tack

¹

[ tak ]

noun

1. a short, sharp-pointed nail, usually with a flat, broad head.
2. Nautical.
   1. a rope for extending the lower forward corner of a course.
   2. the lower forward corner of a course or fore-and-aft sail.
   3. the heading of a sailing vessel, when sailing close-hauled, with reference to the wind direction.
   4. a course run obliquely against the wind.
   5. one of the series of straight runs that make up the zigzag course of a ship proceeding to windward.
3. a course of action or conduct, especially one differing from some preceding or other course.
4. one of the movements of a zigzag course on land.
5. a stitch, especially a long stitch used in fastening seams, preparatory to a more thorough sewing.
6. a fastening, especially of a temporary kind.
7. stickiness, as of nearly dry paint or glue or of a printing ink or gummed tape; adhesiveness.
8. the gear used in equipping a horse, including saddle, bridle, martingale, etc.

verb (used with object)

1. to fasten by a tack or tacks:

   to tack a rug to the floor.

2. to secure by some slight or temporary fastening.
3. to join together; unite; combine.
4. to attach as something supplementary; append; annex (often followed by on or onto ).

   Synonyms: add, fasten, affix

5. Nautical.
   1. to change the course of (a sailing vessel) to the opposite tack.
   2. to navigate (a sailing vessel) by a series of tacks.
6. to equip (a horse) with tack.

verb (used without object)

1. Nautical.
   1. to change the course of a sailing vessel by bringing the head into the wind and then causing it to fall off on the other side:

      He ordered us to tack at once.

   2. (of a sailing vessel) to change course in this way.
   3. to proceed to windward by a series of courses as close to the wind as the vessel will sail.
2. to take or follow a zigzag course or route.
3. to change one's course of action, conduct, ideas, etc.
4. to equip a horse with tack (usually followed by up ):

   Please tack up quickly.

tack

²

[ tak ]

noun

1. food; fare.

tack

³

[ tak ]

noun

, Scot. and North England.

1. a lease, especially on farmland.
2. a rented pasture.
3. a catch, haul, or take of fish.

tack

¹

/ tæk /

noun

1. 1. riding harness for horses, such as saddles, bridles, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      the tack room

tack

²

/ tæk /

noun

1. a lease
2. an area of land held on a lease

tack

³

/ tæk /

noun

1. a short sharp-pointed nail, usually with a flat and comparatively large head
2. a long loose temporary stitch used in dressmaking, etc
3. See tailor's-tack
4. a temporary fastening
5. stickiness, as of newly applied paint, varnish, etc
6. nautical the heading of a vessel sailing to windward, stated in terms of the side of the sail against which the wind is pressing
7. nautical
   1. a course sailed by a sailing vessel with the wind blowing from forward of the beam
   2. one such course or a zigzag pattern of such courses
8. nautical
   1. a sheet for controlling the weather clew of a course
   2. the weather clew itself
9. nautical the forward lower clew of a fore-and-aft sail
10. a course of action differing from some previous course

    he went off on a fresh tack

11. on the wrong tack
    under a false impression

verb

1. tr to secure by a tack or series of tacks
2. to sew (something) with long loose temporary stitches
3. tr to attach or append

   tack this letter onto the other papers

4. nautical to change the heading of (a sailing vessel) to the opposite tack
5. nautical to steer (a sailing vessel) on alternate tacks
6. intr nautical (of a sailing vessel) to proceed on a different tack or to alternate tacks
7. intr to follow a zigzag route; keep changing one's course of action

tack

⁴

/ tæk /

noun

1. informal.
   food, esp when regarded as inferior or distasteful See also hardtack

Derived Forms

• ˈtackless, adjective

Other Words From

• tacker noun
• tackless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tack¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tak, take, takke “buckle, clasp, nail” (later, “tack”); “protective metal plate (on a cart),” from Old North French taque “back of a chimney”; cognate with German Zacke “prong, point,” Dutch tak “twig, bough”; the verb is derivative of the noun; tache, attach

Origin of tack²

First recorded in 1740–50; origin uncertain

Origin of tack³

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English tak, takke, tac “fee paid to a lord, customary fee,” from Old Norse tak “hold, grasp, seizure, goods”; take

Word History and Origins

Origin of tack¹

C20: shortened from tackle

Origin of tack²

C15: from tak a Scots word for take

Origin of tack³

C14 tak fastening, nail; related to Middle Low German tacke pointed instrument

Origin of tack⁴

C19: of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the wrong tack, under a misapprehension; in error; astray:

   His line of questioning began on the wrong tack.

More idioms and phrases containing tack

see get down to brass tacks ; on the right tack ; sharp as a tack .

Example Sentences

“There are a lot of Democrats who are pushing for us to tack right.”

From Salon

And with Trump fixated on plans to deport record numbers of immigrants, there is little indication that the US will change tack any time soon.

From BBC

I was in a Manhattan museum on a recent October weekend when I noticed the Post-It tacked inside the stall in the ladies' room.

From Salon

Currently, building infrastructure is a key way for utilities to boost their profits because they bill the cost back to ratepayers over many years, tacking on annual interest that is typically 10.5%.

From Los Angeles Times

Biden spent much of his speech following a tack set by Harris' campaign, where boosters and candidates alike compare their message of unity and positivity with Trump's fascist and bleak rhetoric.

From Salon

Related Words

• affix
• fasten
• nail
• paste
• pin
• stitch