Word Study
tac-au-tac
CIDE DICTIONARY
tac-au-tac, n. [F., fr. riposter du tac au tac to parry (where tac imitates the sound made by the steel).].
The parry which is connected with a riposte; also, a series of quick attacks and parries in which neither fencer gains a point. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
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