TARNATION, tär-n[=a]'shun, _adj._ and _adv._ a softened form of damnation,
as TAR'NAL, of _eternal_ or _infernal_.
TARNISH, tär'nish, _v.t._ to soil by exposure to the air, &c.: to diminish
the lustre or purity of, to stain, sully.--_v.i._ to become dull: to lose
lustre.--_n._ a spot, stain, change in lustre of a mineral.--_n._
TAR'NISHER. [Fr. _ternir_ (pr.p. _ternissant_); _terne_, dull, wan--Mid.
High Ger. _ternen_, Old High Ger. _tarnjan_, to darken; A.S. _dernan_, to
cover.]
TARO, tä'r[=o], _n._ a plant of the arum family, widely cultivated for its
edible roots in the islands of the Pacific. [Polynesian.]
TAROT, tar'ot, _n._ a kind of playing card used, and probably invented, in
Italy about the middle of the 14th century, 78 to the pack: a game played
with such.--Also TAR'OC. [Fr., so called prob. because _tarotée_ on the
back--i.e. marked with plain or dotted lines crossing diagonally--It.
_tarocchi_.]
TARPAN, tar'pan, _n._ the small wild horse of the steppes of Russia.
[Tatar.]
TARPAULIN, tär-paw'lin, _n._ strong linen or hempen cloth coated with tar
or pitch to render it waterproof: a sailor's wide-brimmed storm-hat:
(_coll._) a sailor.--Also TARPAU'LING. [From _tar_, and prov. Eng.
_pauling_, a cart cover; cf. _Pall_.]
TARPEIAN, tär-p[=e]'an, _adj._ designating a cliff--the TARPEIAN ROCK upon
the Capitoline Hill at Rome, from which state criminals were thrown--from
the Roman traitress _Tarpeia_.
TARPON, tär'pon, TARPUM, tär'pum, _n._ a food-fish of America, of the
herring family, common in the warmer Atlantic waters, and six feet
long.--Also _Jew-fish_. [Amer. Ind.]
TARRADIDDLE, tar-a-did'l, _n._ a fib, a lie. [App. a coined word, the last
part being the slang word _diddle_, to cheat.]
TARRAGON, tar'a-gon, _n._ the herb-dragon, an aromatic plant used for
flavouring vinegar, sauces, &c. [Sp. _taragontia_--Ar. _tarkh[=u]n_--Gr.
_drak[=o]n_, a dragon.]
TARRAS, tar'ras, _n._ (_Spens._) terrace.
TARRE, tär, _v.t._ (_Shak._) to set on, to encourage.
TARRIANCE, tar'i-ans, _n._ (_arch._) act of tarrying, delay.
TARRIER, tar'i-[.e]r, _n._ old form of _terrier_: (_slang_) a rough fellow,
a tough.
TARROCK, tar'ok, _n._ the young of the kittiwake: the tern: guillemot.
TARRY, tär'i, _adj._ consisting of, covered with, or like tar.--_n._
TARR'Y-BREEKS, a sailor.--_adj._ TARR'Y-FING'ERED, thievish.--_n.pl._
TARR'Y-FING'ERS, thieving fingers.
TARRY, tar'i, _v.i._ to be tardy or slow: to loiter or stay behind: to
delay:--_pa.t._ and _pa.p._ tarr'ied.--_n._ TARR'IER, one who tarries or
delays.--_v.i._ TARR'OW (_Scot._), to hesitate, refuse. [M. E. _targen_, to
delay (confused in form with _tarien_, to irritate)--O. Fr. _targer_ (Fr.
_tarder_)--L. _tardus_, slow.]
TARSIA, tär'si-a, _n._ an Italian mosaic, at first dealing with geometrical
patterns in wood, but which developed into inlaid representations of
architecture, views, figures, and drapery, and finally into foliaceous
scrolls of modern marquetry. [It.]
TARSIER, tär'si-er, _n._ a small arboreal East Indian lemuroid, the
malmag.--_adj._ TAR'SIPED, having the same tarsal structure as the
foregoing. [Fr.]
TARSUS, tär'sus, _n._ the part of the foot to which the leg is
articulated:--_pl._ TAR'S[=I].--_adj._ TAR'SAL, relating to the tarsus or
ankle.--_ns._ TARSAL'GIA, pain in the tarsus: a neuralgic affection of the
foot from which persons walking much sometimes suffer; TAR'SIPES, a small
Australian honey-sucking marsupial, of the family _Phalangistidæ_, about
the size of a mouse.--_adj._ TARSOMETATAR'SAL, pertaining to the tarsus and
the metatarsus.--_n._ TARSOMETATAR'SUS, the single compound bone of
birds.--_adj._ TARSOTAR'SAL, mediotarsal. [Gr. _tarsos_, the flat part of
the foot.]
TART, tärt, _adj._ sharp or sour to the taste: (_fig._) sharp:
severe.--_adj._ TART'ISH, somewhat tart.--_adv._ TART'LY.--_n._ TART'NESS.
[A.S. _teart_--_teran_, to tear.]
TART, tärt, _n._ a small pie, containing fruit or jelly baked in
paste.--_n._ TART'LET, a small tart. [O. Fr. _tarte_--L. _torta_, fem. of
pa.p. of _torqu[=e]re_, twist.]
TARTAN, tär'tan, _n._ a woollen or worsted stuff checked with various
colours, once the distinctive dress of the Scottish Highlanders, each clan
having its own pattern. [Fr. _tiretaine_, linsey-woolsey--Sp. _tiritaña_, a
thin woollen stuff--_tiritar_, to shiver.]
TARTAN, tär'tan, _n._ a Mediterranean vessel with lateen sail: a kind of
long covered carriage [Fr.,--Ar. _taridah_, a small ship.]
TARTAR, tär'tar, _n._ a mixture of bitartrate of potash and tartrate of
lime, being a deposit formed from wine, and known in its crude form as
argol: a concretion which sometimes forms on the teeth.--_adjs._
TAR-T[=A]'REOUS, TAR'TAROUS, consisting of, or resembling, tartar;
TARTAR'IC, pertaining to, or obtained from, tartar.--_v.t._ TAR'TARISE, to
impregnate or treat with tartar.--_adjs._ TARTRAL'IC, TARTREL'IC, derived
from tartar.--_n._ TAR'TR[=A]TE, a salt of tartaric acid.--TARTAR EMETIC, a
compound of potassium and antimony.--CREAM OF TARTAR (see CREAM). [Fr.
_tartre_--Low L. _tartarum_--Ar. _durd_, dregs.]
TARTAR, tär'tar, _n._ a native of _Tartary_ in Asia: an irritable person,
or one too strong for his assailant.
TARTARUS, tär'ta-rus, _n._ the lower world generally, but esp. the place of
punishment for the wicked, according to Homer, a deep and sunless abyss, as
far below Hades as earth is below heaven, and closed in by iron
gates--(_Shak._) TAR'TAR: (_Spens._) TAR'TARY.--_adj._ TART[=A]'REAN.
[L.,--Gr. _tartaros_.]
TARTUFFE, tär-t[=oo]f', _n._ a hypocritical pretender to religion, from the
chief character in Molière's most celebrated comedy (1669).--_adjs._
TARTUFF'ISH, TAR-TUF'ISH.--_ns._ TARTUFF'ISM, TARTUF'ISM.
TARVE, tärv, _n._ (_prov._) a curve, bend.
TAR-WATER, tär'-waw'tèr, _n._ cold infusion of tar in water, once used as a
medicine for chest complaints.
TASCAL, tas'kal, _n._ a reward for information about cattle-stealing.--Also
TAS'CALL. [Gael, _taisgeal_.]
TASEOMETER, tas-[=e]-om'e-tèr, _n._ an instrument for measuring strains in
a structure. [Gr. _tasis_, a stretching, _metron_, measure.]
TASH, tash, _n._ an Oriental silk fabric, with gold or silver thread.--Also
TASS. [Hind, _t[=a]sh_, _t[=a]s_.]
TASIMETER, ta-sim'e-t[.e]r, _n._ an apparatus for detecting changes in
pressure by the variations in the electrical conductivity of
carbon.--_adj._ TASIMET'RIC.--_n._ TASIM'ETRY. [Gr. _tasis_--_teinein_,
stretch.]
TASK, task, _n._ a set amount of work, esp. of study, given by another:
work: drudgery.--_v.t._ to impose a task on: to burden with severe
work.--_ns._ TASK'ER, one who imposes a task, or who performs it; TASK'ING,
task-work; TASK'MASTER, a master who imposes a task: an overseer:--_fem._
TASK'MISTRESS; TASK'WORK, work done as a task, or by the job.--TAKE TO
TASK, to reprove. [O. Fr. _tasque_ (Fr. _tâche_)--Low L. _tasca_,
_taxa_--L. _tax[=a]re_, to rate.]
TASLET, tas'let, _n._ a tass or piece of armour for the thigh--prob. the
same as TASSET.
TASMANIAN, tas-m[=a]'ni-an, _adj._ of or belonging to _Tasmania_ or Van
Diemen's Land.--_n._ a native of Tasmania.--TASMANIAN DEVIL, or Dasyure
(see DEVIL); TASMANIAN WOLF, a nocturnal carnivorous marsupial of Tasmania.
[From Abel Jans _Tasman_ (c. 1602-59), the discoverer.]
TASS, tas, _n._ (_prov._) a hay-mow, a heap. [O. Fr. _tas_, a heap, most
prob. Teut.]