tackle

[ tak-uhl tey-kuhl ]

noun

1. equipment, apparatus, or gear, especially for fishing:

   fishing tackle.

2. a mechanism or apparatus, as a rope and block or a combination of ropes and blocks, for hoisting, lowering, and shifting objects or materials; purchase.
3. any system of leverage using several pulleys.
4. Nautical. the gear and running rigging for handling a ship or performing some task on a ship.
5. an act of tackling, as in football; a seizing, grasping, or bringing down.
6. Football.
   1. either of the linemen stationed between a guard and an end.
   2. the position played by this lineman.
7. (formerly) tack ¹( def 8 ).

verb (used with object)

, tack·led, tack·ling.

1. to undertake to handle, master, solve, etc.:

   to tackle a difficult problem.

2. to deal with (a person) on some problem, issue, etc.
3. to harness (a horse).
4. Football. to seize, stop, or throw down (a ball-carrier).
5. Soccer, Field Hockey. to block or impede the movement or progress of (an opponent having the ball) with the result of depriving the opponent of the ball.
6. to seize suddenly, especially in order to stop.

verb (used without object)

, tack·led, tack·ling.

1. Football. to tackle an opponent having the ball.

tackle

/ ˈteɪkəl; ˈtækəl /

noun

1. any mechanical system for lifting or pulling, esp an arrangement of ropes and pulleys designed to lift heavy weights
2. the equipment required for a particular occupation, etc

   fishing tackle

3. nautical the halyards and other running rigging aboard a vessel
4. slang.
   a man's genitals
5. sport a physical challenge to an opponent, as to prevent his progress with the ball
6. American football a defensive lineman

verb

1. tr to undertake (a task, problem, etc)
2. tr to confront (a person, esp an opponent) with a difficult proposition
3. sport (esp in football games) to challenge (an opponent) with a tackle

Derived Forms

• ˈtackler, noun

Other Words From

• tackler noun
• re·tackle verb (used with object) retackled retackling

Word History and Origins

Origin of tackle¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English takel “gear, apparatus,” from Middle Low German; akin to take

Word History and Origins

Origin of tackle¹

C13: related to Middle Low German takel ship's rigging, Middle Dutch taken to take

Example Sentences

However, for this technology to be commercially viable, scientists need to tackle the challenge of improving both the stability and efficiency, especially around the lead-tin perovskite cell used in this design.

From Science Daily

The preseason game in 2021 when two Washington defenders sandwiched him on a tackle and bent his knee and tore two ligaments.

From Los Angeles Times

For example, by giving money to countries such as Syria, it’s possible to tackle the so-called “root causes” of migration so there’s less need for refugees to flee.

From BBC

The government has also said it wants to use counter-terrorism tactics to tackle people-smuggling gangs, with new powers to trace suspects' movements and freeze their bank accounts.

From BBC

"Luckily, it's also something we can overcome, either with brute force or, better, with a smart mutation directly tackling the source of the problem, the acidic patch."

From Science Daily