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Added 9 October 2026

tart

/tɑɹt/ noun

In Latin: acidus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tart at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money.
A small open pie with a fruit filling.
A pastry cup with a filling of fruit or custard and no top crust.

adjective

Tasting sour like a lemon.
Harsh.
sharp criticism

Origin

From Middle English tart, from Old English teart (“sharp, rough, severe”), from Proto-West Germanic *tart, from Proto-Germanic *tartaz (“rough, sharp, tearing”), from Proto-Germanic *teraną (“to tear”), from Proto-Indo-European *der- (“to flay, split, cleave”). Related to Scots tairt (“tart; tartness”), Dutch tarten (“to defy, challenge, mock”), German trotzen (“to defy, brave, mock”), perhaps Albanian thartë (“sour, acid, sharp”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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