TAPA, tä'pä, _n._ the bark of the paper-mulberry, much used in the South
Seas for mats, &c.--Also TAP'PA.
TAPADERA, tap-a-d[=a]'ra, _n._ a leather guard for the stirrup of the
Californian saddle. [Sp., 'a cover'--_tapar_, to cover.]
TAPE, t[=a]p, _n._ a narrow fillet or band of woven work, used for strings,
&c.: a strong flexible band rotating on pulleys for directing the sheets in
a printing-machine: the strip of paper used in a printing-telegraph
instrument, &c.: (_slang_) liquor.--_v.t._ to furnish, or tie up, with
tape: to extend.--_ns._ TAPE'-LINE, -MEAS'URE, a measuring-line of tape,
marked with inches, &c.--_adj._ T[=A]'PEN, made of tape.--_n._ T[=A]'PIST,
one who uses tape, an official formalist.--BREAST THE TAPE, in foot-racing,
to touch with the breast the tape or ribbon held by the judge at the
finish-line. [A.S. _tæppe_, a fillet--L. _tapete_--Gr. _tap[=e]s_.]
TAPER, t[=a]'p[.e]r, _n._ a small wax-candle or light: tapering
form.--_adj._ narrowed towards the point, like a taper: long and
slender.--_v.i._ to become gradually smaller towards one end.--_v.t._ to
make to taper.--_adj._ T[=A]'PERING, growing gradually thinner.--_adv._
T[=A]'PERINGLY, in a tapering manner.--_n._ T[=A]'PERNESS, state of being
taper. [A.S. _tapor_, prob. Ir. _tapar_.]
TAPESTRY, tap'es-tri, _n._ an ornamental textile used for the covering of
walls and furniture, and for curtains and hangings--divided into two
classes, according as they are made in high-warp (_haute lisse_) or
low-warp (_basse lisse_) looms.--_v.t._ to adorn with tapestry--_n._ TAP'ET
(_Spens._). [O. Fr. _tapisserie_--_tapis_; a carpet--L. _tapete_, a carpet,
tapestry--Gr. _tap[=e]s_, _-etis_--Pers. _tabsch_.]
TAPETI, tap'e-ti, _n._ the Brazilian hare.
TAPETUM, t[=a]-p[=e]'tum, _n._ (_bot._) the cells on the outside of an
archesporium: the pigmentary layer of the retina:--_pl._ T[=A]'PETA. [L.
_tapete_--Gr. _tap[=e]s_, _tap[=e]tos_, a carpet.]
TAPEWORM, t[=a]p'wurm, _n._ a term sometimes used as a popular synonym for
Cestoda or Cestoid Worms, but especially for those which belong to the
families _Tæniadæ_ and _Bothriocephalidæ_.
TAPIOCA, tap-i-[=o]'ka, _n._ a farinaceous substance obtained from cassava
or manioc by drying it while moist on hot plates, so that the starch grains
swell or burst, and the whole agglomerates in small lumps. [Braz.
_tipioka_, the poisonous juice of the cassava.]
TAPIR, t[=a]'pir, _n._ a genus of _Ungulata_, of the section
Perissodactyla, thick-skinned, short-necked, with a short flexible
proboscis, found in South America.--_adjs._ TAPIR'ODONT, having teeth like
the tapir; TAP'IROID, related to the tapirs. [Braz.]
TAPIS, tap'is, or ta-p[=e]', _n._ tapestry, carpeting: formerly, the cover
of a council-table.--_vs.i._ (_obs._) TAP'PISH, TAP'PICE, to hide.--UPON
THE TAPIS, on the table: under consideration. [Fr.]
TAPPET, tap'et, _n._ (_Spens._) tapestry.
TAPPET, tap'et, _n._ a projecting arm, lever, &c. from any moving part of a
machine supplying intermittent motion to some other part.--_ns._
TAPP'ET-LOOM, -MO'TION, -RING, -ROD, &c.
TAPPIT, tap'it, _adj._ (_Scot._) having a top or crest.--_n._ TAPP'IT-HEN,
a crested hen: a vessel for liquor holding about three quarts, a liberal
allowance of drink generally.
TAPSALTEERIE, tap-sal-t[=e]'ri, _adj._ (_Scot._) topsy-turvy.--Also
TAPSIETEER'IE.
TAPSMAN, taps'man, _n._ (_Scot._) a servant with principal charge, the
chief of a company of drovers.
TAPU. See TABOO.
TAR, tär, _v.t._ to set on, incite to fight. [M. E. _tarien_, to
irritate--A.S. _tergan_, to provoke.]
TAR, tär, _n._ a viscous, liquid, resinous substance of a dark colour,
obtained from pine-trees: a sailor, so called from his tarred
clothes.--_v.t._ to smear with tar:--_pr.p._ tar'ring; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._
tarred.--_ns._ TAR'HEEL, a North Carolinian; TAR'HOOD, sailors
collectively.--TAR AND FEATHER, to smear with tar and then cover with
feathers.--BE TARRED WITH THE SAME BRUSH, or STICK, to have the same faults
as another; HAVE A TOUCH OF THE TAR-BRUSH, to have an infusion of negro
blood in the veins. [A.S. _teoro_, _teru_; Dut. _teer_.]
TARABOOKA, ta-ra-b[=oo]'ka, _n._ a drum-like instrument.
TARA-FERN, tä'rä-fern, _n._ a New Zealand brake, with a thickened edible
rhizome.
TARANTASS, tar-an-tas', _n._ a four-wheeled vehicle having a boat-shaped
body, without springs. [Russ.]
TARANTELLA. See under TARANTISM.
TARANTISM, tar'ant-izm, _n._ an epidemic leaping or dancing mania, somewhat
resembling chorea--also TAR'ENTISM.--_ns._ TARANTEL'LA, TARENTEL'LA, a
lively Neapolitan dance in triplets for one couple--thought a remedy for
tarantism; TARAN'TULA, TAREN'TULA, a species of spider found in South
Italy, whose bite is much dreaded, and was long supposed to cause
tarantism. [It. _tarantola_--_Taranto_--L. _Tarentum_, a town in South
Italy where the spider abounds.]
TARATANTARA, tar-a-tan-tar'a, _n._ or _adv._ a word imitative of the sound
of a trumpet.--Also TANTAR'A, TARANTAR'A.
TARAXACUM, tar-aks'a-kum, _n._ the root of the dandelion, a tonic laxative
in diseases of the liver.--_n._ TARAX'ACINE, a crystallisable substance
extracted from the foregoing. [A botanical Latin word, coined from Gr.
_taraxis_, trouble--_tarassein_, to trouble. Davic refers to Ar.
_taras-acon_, a kind of succory, Latinised in Avicenna as _taraxacon_.]
[Illustration]
TARBOOSH, TARBOUCHE, tär-boosh', _n._ a red cap with dark tassel worn by
Moslem men. [Ar. _tarb[=u]sh_.]
TARDIGRADE, tär'di-gr[=a]d, _adj._ slow in pace; belonging to the
TAR'DIGRADA, a group or suborder of mammals containing the two genera of
sloth.--_n._ one of the Tardigrada. [L. _tardus_, slow, _gradi_, to step.]
TARDY, tär'di, _adj._ slow, late, sluggish: out of season.--_advs._
TARDAMEN'TE (_mus._), slowly; TAR'DILY, slowly: reluctantly: late.--_n._
TAR'DINESS.--_adj._ TAR'DY-GAIT'ED (_Shak._) slow-paced. [Fr.
_tardif_--_tard_--L. _tardus_, slow.]
TARE, t[=a]r, _n._ any one of several species of vetch: (_B._) an
unidentified weed, prob. darnel. [Prob. _tear_.]
TARE, t[=a]r, _n._ the weight of the vessel or package in which goods are
contained: an allowance made for it, the remainder being the _net_ weight.
[Fr.,--Sp. _tara_--Ar. _tarha_, thrown away.]
TARE, t[=a]r, obsolete, _pa.p._ of _tear_ (2).
[Illustration]
TARGET, tär'get, _n._ a small buckler or shield: a mark to fire at for
practice or competition: any object of desire or ambition: the frame
holding railway-signals: (_her._) a bearing representing a buckler:
(_Scot._) a pendant, tassel--also TARGE.--_adj._ TAR'GETED, provided with a
shield.--_ns._ TARGETEER', TARGETIER', one armed with a shield, a peltast.
[A.S. _targe_; Old High Ger. _zarga_, a frame, wall; Fr. _targe_ is of
Teut. origin.]
TARGUM, t[=a]r'gum, _n._ a general term for the Aramaic versions--often
paraphrases--of the Old Testament, which became necessary when, after and
perhaps during the Babylonian Exile, Hebrew began to die out as the popular
language and was supplanted by Aramaic.--_adj._ TAR'GUMIC.--_n._
TAR'GUMIST, a writer of a Targum: a student of the Targums.--_adj._
TARGUMIST'IC. [Assyr. _ragâmu_, to speak, whence _targumânu_, speaker.]
TARIFF, tar'if, _n._ a list of the duties, &c., fixed by law on
merchandise: a list of charges, fees, or prices. [Fr.,--Sp.,--Ar.
_ta`r[=i]f_, giving information, from _`arafa_, to explain.]
TARLATAN, tär'la-tan, _n._ a fine, open, transparent muslin for women's
dresses, often coarse in texture, made at _Tarare_ in the department of
Rhône.--Also TAR'LETAN. [Prob. Milanese _tarlantanna_.]