tariff

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: tar=iff

CIDE DICTIONARY

tariff, n. [F. tarif; cf. Sp. & Pg. tarifa, It. tariffa; all fr. Ar. ta'rīf information, explanation, definition, from 'arafa, to know, to inform, explain.].

•  A schedule, system, or scheme of duties imposed by the government of a country upon goods imported or exported; as, a revenue tariff; a protective tariff; Clay's compromise tariff. (U. S. 1833).  [1913 Webster]

  " The United States and Great Britain impose no duties on exports; hence, in these countries the tariff refers only to imports."  [1913 Webster]

  " A tariff may be imposed solely for, and with reference to, the production of revenue (called a revenue tariff, or tariff for revenue, or for the artificial fostering of home industries (a projective tariff), or as a means of coercing foreign governments, as in case of retaliatory tariff."  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  The duty, or rate of duty, so imposed; as, the tariff on wool; a tariff of two cents a pound.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any schedule or system of rates, changes, etc.; as, a tariff of fees, or of railroad fares.  Bolingbroke.  [1913 Webster]

tariff, v. t. 

 To make a list of duties on, as goods.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tariff, n. & v.
--n.
1 a table of fixed charges (a hotel tariff).
2 a a duty on a particular class of imports or exports. b a list of duties or customs to be paid.
3 standard charges agreed between insurers etc.
--v.tr. subject (goods) to a tariff.

Etymology

F tarif f. It. tariffa f. Turk. tarife f. Arab. ta' rif(a) f. ' arrafa notify

DEVIL DICTIONARY

tariff

n. A scale of taxes on imports, designed to protect the domestic producer against the greed of his consumer.

The Enemy of Human Souls
Sat grieving at the cost of coals;
For Hell had been annexed of late,
And was a sovereign Southern State.

"It were no more than right," said he,
"That I should get my fuel free.
The duty, neither just nor wise,
Compels me to economize --
Whereby my broilers, every one,
Are execrably underdone.
What would they have? -- although I yearn
To do them nicely to a turn,
I can't afford an honest heat.
This tariff makes even devils cheat!
I'm ruined, and my humble trade
All rascals may at will invade:
Beneath my nose the public press
Outdoes me in sulphureousness;
The bar ingeniously applies
To my undoing my own lies;
My medicines the doctors use
(Albeit vainly) to refuse
To me my fair and rightful prey
And keep their own in shape to pay;
The preachers by example teach
What, scorning to perform, I teach;
And statesmen, aping me, all make
More promises than they can break.
Against such competition I
Lift up a disregarded cry.
Since all ignore my just complaint,
By Hokey-Pokey! I'll turn saint!"
Now, the Republicans, who all
Are saints, began at once to bawl
Against _his_ competition; so
There was a devil of a go!
They locked horns with him, tete-a-tete
In acrimonious debate,
Till Democrats, forlorn and lone,
Had hopes of coming by their own.
That evil to avert, in haste
The two belligerents embraced;
But since 'twere wicked to relax
A tittle of the Sacred Tax,
'Twas finally agreed to grant
The bold Insurgent-protestant
A bounty on each soul that fell
Into his ineffectual Hell.
Edam Smith

THESAURUS

tariff

VAT, ad valorem duty, alcohol tax, amusement tax, assessment, assessment on default, bill of fare, capital gains tax, capitation, capitation tax, cess, charge, corporation tax, cost, customs, customs duty, death duty, death tax, doomage, duty, estate duty, estate tax, excess profits tax, excise, excise tax, export tax, federal tax, gabelle, gift tax, head tax, import tax, impost, income tax, inheritance tax, internal revenue tax, land tax, levy, liquor tax, local tax, luxury tax, menu, nuisance tax, personal property tax, poll, poll tax, price tag, property tax, property-increment tax, protective tariff, provincial tax, rate, rates, revenue tariff, sales tax, salt tax, school tax, severance tax, specific duty, state tax, tab, tariff duty, tax, telephone tax, toll, use tax, value added tax, window tax

ROGET THESAURUS

tariff

Price

N price, amount, cost, expense, prime cost, charge, figure, demand, damage, fare, hire, wages, value, dues, duty, toll, tax, impost, cess, sess, tallage, levy, abkari, capitation tax, poll tax, doomage, likin, gabel, gabelle, gavel, octroi, custom, excise, assessment, benevolence, tithe, tenths, exactment, ransom, salvage, tariff, brokerage, wharfage, freightage, bill, shot, priced, to the tune of, ad valorem, dutiable, mercenary, venal, no penny no paternoster, point d'argent point de Suisse, no longer pipe no longer dance, no song no supper, if you dance you have to pay the piper, you get what you pay for, there's no such thing as a free lunch, one may have it for, a bon marche.