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Added 8 October 2026

tack

/tæk/ noun

In Latin: versōria Wiktionary

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

The heading or position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails.
A short nail with a sharp point and a large head.
Gear for a horse.

verb

Fasten with tacks.
tack the notice on the board
Turn into the wind.
The sailors decided to tack the boat
Create by putting components or members together.
She pieced a quilt

Origin

From Middle English tak, takke (“hook; staple; nail”), from Old Northern French taque (“nail, pin, peg”), from Frankish *takkō (“twig, branch, shoot”), of unknown origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dHgʰ-n-, from the root *déHgʰ- (“to pinch; to tear, rip, fray”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Takke (“bough; branch; twig”), West Frisian takke (“branch”), tûk (“branch, smart, sharp”), Dutch tak (“twig; branch; limb”), German Zacke (“jag; prong; spike; tooth; peak”).

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

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