Tartar
1
[ tahr-ter ]
/ ˈtɑr tər /
noun
adjective
of or relating to a Tartar or Tartars; Tartarian.
Idioms for Tartar
catch a Tartar,
to deal with someone or something that proves unexpectedly troublesome or powerful.
Also catch a tartar.
Also
Tatar
(for defs 1, 2, 4, 5, 8).
Origin of Tartar
1
1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin
Tartarus, perhaps variant of
Tātārus (unattested) < Persian
Tātār, by association with
Tartarus; replacing Middle English
Tartre < Middle French < Medieval Latin, as above
OTHER WORDS FROM Tartar
Tar·tar·ly, adverbBritish Dictionary definitions for catch a tartar (1 of 3)
tartar
1
/ (ˈtɑːtə) /
noun
dentistry
a hard crusty deposit on the teeth, consisting of food, cellular debris, and mineral salts
Also called: argol
a brownish-red substance consisting mainly of potassium hydrogen tartrate, present in grape juice and deposited during the fermentation of wine
Word Origin for tartar
C14: from Medieval Latin
tartarum, from Medieval Greek
tartaron
British Dictionary definitions for catch a tartar (2 of 3)
tartar
2
/ (ˈtɑːtə) /
noun
(sometimes capital)
a fearsome or formidable person
Word Origin for tartar
C16: special use of
Tartar
British Dictionary definitions for catch a tartar (3 of 3)
Medical definitions for catch a tartar
tartar
[ tär′tər ]
n.
A hard, yellowish deposit on the teeth, consisting of organic secretions and food particles deposited in various salts, such as calcium carbonate.
dental calculus
Scientific definitions for catch a tartar
tartar
[ tär′tər ]
A hard yellowish deposit on the teeth, consisting of organic secretions and food particles deposited in various salts, such as calcium carbonate.
A reddish acid compound consisting of a tartrate of potassium, found in the juice of grapes and deposited on the sides of wine casks.
Idioms and Phrases with catch a tartar
catch a Tartar
Seek out something or someone that turns out to be unexpectedly unpleasant or formidable, as in Now that she finally agreed to meet with you, you just might find that you've caught a Tartar. In this term, Tartar signifies a difficult or sometimes violent individual, referring to Turkic and Mongolian invaders of Asia in the Middle Ages. [Mid-1600s]