tart

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

tart, a. [AS. teart. √63. Cf. Tear, v. t.].

•  Sharp to the taste; acid; sour; as, a tart apple.  [1913 Webster]
•  Fig.: Sharp; keen; severe; as, a tart reply; tart language; a tart rebuke.  [1913 Webster]

  "Why art thou tart, my brother?"  [1913 Webster]

tart, n. [OE. tarte, F. tarte; perhaps originally the same word as tourte, LL. torta, fr. L. tortus, p. p. of torquere to twist, bend, wind, because tarts were originally made of a twisted shape. Cf. Torture, n.].

 A species of small open pie, or piece of pastry, containing jelly or conserve; a sort of fruit pie.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tart, n.
1 an open pastry case containing jam etc.
2 esp. Brit. a pie with a fruit or sweet filling.

Derivative

tartlet n.

tart, n. & v.
--n. sl.
1 a prostitute; a promiscuous woman.
2 sl. offens. a girl or woman.
--v. (foll. by up) esp. Brit. colloq.
1 tr. (usu. refl.) smarten (oneself or a thing) up, esp. flashily or gaudily.
2 intr. dress up gaudily.

tart, adj.
1 sharp or acid in taste.
2 (of a remark etc.) cutting, bitter.

Derivative

tartly adv. tartness n.

Etymology

OE teart, of unkn. orig.

THESAURUS

tart

Danish pastry, French pastry, Jezebel, abusive, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acescent, acetose, acetous, acid, acidic, acidulated, acidulent, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, amaroidal, astringent, bad woman, baggage, baklava, barbed, bimbo, bitch, biting, bitter, bitter as gall, blintz, broad, caustic, chippy, chocolate eclair, clitoromaniac, coarse, cocotte, corroding, corrosive, courtesan, crab, crabbed, cream puff, crusty, cutting, cynical, double-edged, dowdy, doxy, drab, dry, easy lay, easy woman, eclair, edged, escharotic, fallen woman, fierce, fille de joie, flan, floozy, frail sister, green, grisette, hard, harlot, harridan, harsh, hooker, hussy, hysteromaniac, incisive, jade, keen, loose woman, mordacious, mordant, nasty, nymph, nymphet, nympho, nymphomaniac, pandowdy, pastry, pasty, patisserie, patty, patty-shell, penetrating, pickled, pickup, pie, piercing, piquant, poignant, prostitute, puff, pungent, quean, quiche, rigorous, rosette, rough, sarcastic, sardonic, satirical, scathing, scorching, sec, severe, sharp, slut, sour, sour as vinegar, soured, sourish, stabbing, stinging, streetwalker, strident, stringent, strudel, strumpet, tangy, tartish, testy, timbale, tipsy cake, trenchant, trifle, trollop, trull, turnover, unripe, unsweet, unsweetened, uteromaniac, vehement, vicious, vinegarish, vinegary, violent, virulent, vitriolic, vol-au-vent, wanton, wench, whore, withering, working girl

ROGET THESAURUS

tart

Sweetness

N sweetness, dulcitude, sugar, syrup, treacle, molasses, honey, manna, confection, confectionary, sweets, grocery, conserve, preserve, confiture, jam, julep, sugar-candy, sugar-plum, licorice, marmalade, plum, lollipop, bonbon, jujube, comfit, sweetmeat, apple butter, caramel, damson, glucose, maple sirup, maple syrup, maple sugar, mithai, sorghum, taffy, nectar, hydromel, mead, meade, metheglin, honeysuckle, liqueur, sweet wine, aperitif, sugar cane, sugar beets, desert, pastry, pie, cake, candy, ice cream, tart, puff, pudding (food), dulcification, dulcoration, sweetener, corn syrup, cane sugar, refined sugar, beet sugar, dextrose, artificial sweetener, saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, Sweet'N Low, sweet, saccharine, sacchariferous, dulcet, candied, honied, luscious, lush, nectarious, melliferous, sweetened, sweet as a nut, sweet as sugar, sweet as honey, sickly sweet, eau sucr_ee, sweets to the sweet.

Sourness

N sourness, acid, acidity, low pH, acetous fermentation, lactic fermentation, vinegar, verjuice, crab, alum, acetic acid, lactic acid, sour, acid, acidulous, acidulated, tart, crabbed, acetous, acetose, acerb, acetic, sour as vinegar, sourish, acescent, subacid, styptic, hard, rough, sour as a lemon, (4) Odor.