tart 1
— tartish , adj. — tartishly , adv. — tartly , adv. — tartness , n.
/tahrt/ , adj., tarter, tartest .
1. sharp to the taste; sour or acid: tart apples.
2. sharp in character, spirit, or expression; cutting; caustic: a tart remark.
[ bef. 1000; ME; OE teart sharp, rough; akin to D tarten to defy, MHG traz defiance ]
Syn. 2. barbed, biting.
tart 2
/tahrt/ , n.
1. a small pie filled with cooked fruit or other sweetened preparation, usually having no top crust.
2. a covered pie containing fruit or the like.
3. Slang. a prostitute or promiscuous woman.
v.t.
4. tart up , Slang. to adorn, dress, or decorate, esp. in a flamboyant manner: The old restaurant was tarted up to look like a Viennese café.
[ 1350-1400; 1905-10 for def. 3; ME tarte tarta ]