tannic

American

[tan-ik] / ˈtæn ɪk /

adjective

Chemistry. of, relating to, or derived from tan or tannin.
(of wine) having an astringent taste imparted by the presence of tannin.

tannic British

/ ˈtænɪk /

adjective

of, relating to, containing, or produced from tan, tannin, or tannic acid

"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

Other Word Forms

nontannic adjective

Etymology

Origin of tannic

1825–35; tan ¹ or tann(in) + -ic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Unlike farmed varieties, many apple seedlings produce the bitter, tannic, intensely flavored fruit suited to hard ciders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

The team applied metal-polyphenol nano-coating technology based on tannic acid to improve performance and durability.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024

The giant trees resist burning thanks to the bark, up to about 30 centimeters thick at the base, which contains tannic acids that retard flames.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 1, 2023

Apparently, the tannic acid in the tea helped stop bleeding.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 25, 2023

There is tannic acid in the woods in oak trees, but it took me several weeks to figure out how to get it.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023