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