tack1

 
Pronunciation: /tak/

noun

  • 1a small, sharp broad-headed nail: tacks held the remaining rags of carpet to the floor
  • North American a drawing pin: here are some tacks—put up a notice
  • 2a long stitch used to fasten fabrics together temporarily, prior to permanent sewing.
  • 3a method of dealing with a situation or problem; a course of action or policy: as she could not stop him going she tried another tack and insisted on going with him
  • 4 Sailing an act of changing course by turning a boat’s head into and through the wind, so as to bring the wind on the opposite side.
  • a boat’s course relative to the direction of the wind: the brig bowled past on the opposite tack
  • a distance sailed between such changes of course: it’s a shame to see a yacht drop her sails and start the diesel just because she has to make a few short tacks
  • 5 Sailing a rope for securing the corner of certain sails.
  • the corner to which a rope is fastened.
  • 6 [mass noun] the quality of being sticky: cooking the sugar to caramel gives tack to the texture

verb

  • 1 [with object and adverbial] fasten or fix in place with tacks: he used the tool to tack down sheets of fibreboard
  • 2 [with object and adverbial] fasten (pieces of cloth) together temporarily with long stitches: when the dress was roughly tacked together, she tried it on
  • (tack something on) add or append something to something already existing: the castles have new wings and other bits tacked on customers tell of surprise ‘nuisance fees’ tacked on to every transaction
  • 3 [no object] Sailing change course by turning a boat’s head into and through the wind: their boat was now downwind and they had to tackCompare with wear2.
    [from the practice of shifting ropes (see tack1 (sense 5 of the noun) of noun) to change direction]
  • [with object] alter the course of (a boat) by tacking: I tacked the ship shortly after midnight
  • [with adverbial of direction] make a series of changes of course while sailing: she spent the entire night tacking back and forth

Phrases

on the port (or starboard) tack

Sailing with the wind coming from the port (or starboard) side of the boat: as soon as the yacht is established on the starboard tack, the jib sheet is let fly

Derivatives

tacker

noun

Origin:

Middle English (in the general sense 'something that fastens one thing to another'): probably related to Old French tache 'clasp, large nail'