tack
/tæk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.37 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The lower corner on the leading edge of a sail relative to the direction of the wind.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A direction or course of action, especially a new one; a method or approach to solving a problem.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "A tough test for even the strongest climber, it was new to the Tour de France this year, but its debut will be remembered for the wrong reasons after one of those spectators scattered carpet tacks on the road and induced around 30 punctures among the group of riders including Bradley Wiggins, the Tour's overall leader, and his chief rivals."
- "So stoutly held to tack by those near North-wales men;"
- "Maud Gonne’s letter about taking them off O’Connell street at night: disgrace to our Irish capital. Griffith’s paper is on the same tack now: an army rotten with venereal disease: overseas or halfseasover empire."
- "‘I know it all right,’ Big Bil snarled, ‘but knowing and proving are two different tacks.’"
- "I thought that my refusing Barnard would alienate Botha, and decided that such a tack was too risky."
- "When even cautious German politicians are questioning Nato’s ‘war-mongering’ actions, it’s clear that a new tack is required"
Etymology
From Middle English tak, takke (“hook; staple; nail”), from Old Northern French taque (“nail, pin, peg”), from Frankish *takkō (“twig, branch, shoot”), of unknown origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dHgʰ-n-, from the root *déHgʰ- (“to pinch; to tear, rip, fray”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Takke (“bough; branch; twig”), West Frisian takke (“branch”), tûk (“branch, smart, sharp”), Dutch tak (“twig; branch; limb”), German Zacke (“jag; prong; spike; tooth; peak”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /tæk/
- British English: /tæk/