释义 |
tar·tar I. \ˈtär]d.ər, ˈtȧ]d.ə(r, ]tə-\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English tartre, tartar, from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French tartre, from Medieval Latin tartarum 1. : a substance consisting essentially of cream of tartar found in the juice of grapes and deposited in wine casks together with yeast and other suspended matters as a pale or dark reddish crust or sediment; especially : a recrystallized product yielding cream of tartar on further purification — compare argol I, lee III 2. a. : an incrustation deposited from a liquid b. : an incrustation on the teeth consisting of salivary secretion, food residue, and various salts (as calcium carbonate or phosphate) II. noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English Tartre, from Middle French Tartare, probably from Medieval Latin Tartarus, modification (influenced by Latin Tartarus the infernal regions) of Persian Tātār — more at tatar 1. capitalized : a native or inhabitant of Tatary of Mongolic or Turkic origin 2. usually capitalized : tatar 2 3. often capitalized : a person of irritable, violent, or intractable temper 4. : a person or thing that when grasped or tackled proves unexpectedly formidable < had caught a tartar, a fish too heavy even for his strength — Bud Jackson > < raillery seems to be a proper rod … but great caution and skill are necessary in the use of it or you may happen to catch a tartar — Earl of Chesterfield > III. adjective Usage: usually capitalized 1. : of, relating to, or characteristic of the region of Tatary extending indefinitely from the Sea of Japan to the Dnieper river 2. : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Tartars |