tack Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the heading or position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails
  2. noun a short nail with a sharp point and a large head
  3. noun gear for a horse
    saddlery; stable gear.
  4. noun (nautical) a line (rope or chain) that regulates the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind
    mainsheet; sheet; shroud; weather sheet.
  5. noun (nautical) the act of changing tack
    tacking.
  6. noun sailing a zigzag course
  7. verb fasten with tacks
    • tack the notice on the board
  8. verb turn into the wind
    wear round.
    • The sailors decided to tack the boat
    • The boat tacked
  9. verb create by putting components or members together
    tack together; set up; assemble; piece; put together.
    • She pieced a quilt
    • He tacked together some verses
    • They set up a committee
  10. verb sew together loosely, with large stitches
    baste.
    • baste a hem
  11. verb fix to; attach
    tack on; tag on; append; hang on.
    • append a charm to the necklace
  12. verb reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)
    interchange; alternate; flip; switch; flip-flop.

WordNet

Tack noun
Etymology
From an old or dialectal form of F. tache. See Techy.
Definitions
  1. A stain; a tache. Obs.
  2. Cf. L. tactus. A peculiar flavor or taint; as, a musty tack. Obs. or Colloq. Drayton.
Tack noun
Etymology
OE. tak, takke, a fastening; akin to D. tak a branch, twig, G. zacke a twig, prong, spike, Dan. takke a tack, spike; cf. also Sw. tagg prickle, point, Icel. tag a willow twig, Ir. taca a peg, nail, fastening, Gael. tacaid, Armor. & Corn. tach; perhaps akin to E. take. Cf. Attach, Attack, Detach, Tag an end, Zigzag.
Definitions
  1. A small, short, sharp-pointed nail, usually having a broad, flat head.
  2. That which is attached; a supplement; an appendix. See Tack, v. t., 3. Macaulay.
    Some tacks had been made to money bills in King Charles's time. Bp. Burnet.
  3. (Naut.) (a) A rope used to hold in place the foremost lower corners of the courses when the vessel is closehauled (see Illust. of Ship); also, a rope employed to pull the lower corner of a studding sail to the boom. (b) The part of a sail to which the tack is usually fastened; the foremost lower corner of fore-and-aft sails, as of schooners (see Illust. of Sail). (c) The direction of a vessel in regard to the trim of her sails; as, the starboard tack, or port tack; -- the former when she is closehauled with the wind on her starboard side; hence, the run of a vessel on one tack; also, a change of direction.
  4. (Scots Law) A contract by which the use of a thing is set, or let, for hire; a lease. Burrill.
  5. Confidence; reliance. Prov. Eng. Halliwell.
Tack transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. OD. tacken to touch, take, seize, fix, akin to E. take. See Tack a small nail.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Tacked ; present participle & verbal noun Tacking
Definitions
  1. To fasten or attach. "In hopes of getting some commendam tacked to their sees." Swift.
    And tacks the center to the sphere. Herbert.
  2. Especially, to attach or secure in a slight or hasty manner, as by stitching or nailing; as, to tack together the sheets of a book; to tack one piece of cloth to another; to tack on a board or shingle; to tack one piece of metal to another by drops of solder.
  3. In parliamentary usage, to add (a supplement) to a bill; to append; -- often with on or to. Macaulay.
  4. (Naut.) To change the direction of (a vessel) when sailing closehauled, by putting the helm alee and shifting the tacks and sails so that she will proceed to windward nearly at right angles to her former course. ✍ In tacking, a vessel is brought to point at first directly to windward, and then so that the wind will blow against the other side.
Tack intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. (Naut.) To change the direction of a vessel by shifting the position of the helm and sails; also (as said of a vessel), to have her direction changed through the shifting of the helm and sails. See Tack, v. t., 4.
    Monk, . . . when he wanted his ship to tack to larboard, moved the mirth of his crew by calling out, "Wheel to the left." Macaulay.

Webster 1913