/ tɔːt; NAmE / adjective
1.
stretched tightly :
Keep the rope taut.
2.
showing that you are anxious or tense :
Her face was taut and pale.
3.
( of a person or their body ) with firm muscles; not fat :
His body was solid and taut.
4.
( of a piece of writing, etc. ) tightly controlled, with no unnecessary parts in it
► taut·ly adverb
► taut·ness noun [ U ]
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English tought distended , perhaps originally a variant of tough .