TACK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does tack mean? 

• TACK (noun)
  The noun TACK has 6 senses:

1. the heading or position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails

2. a short nail with a sharp point and a large head

3. gear for a horse

4. (nautical) a line (rope or chain) that regulates the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind

5. (nautical) the act of changing tack

6. sailing a zigzag course

  Familiarity information: TACK used as a noun is common.

• TACK (verb)
  The verb TACK has 6 senses:

1. fasten with tacks

2. turn into the wind

3. create by putting components or members together

4. sew together loosely, with large stitches

5. fix to; attach

6. reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)

  Familiarity information: TACK used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TACK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The heading or position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("tack" is a kind of...):

aim; bearing; heading (the direction or path along which something moves or along which it lies)

Derivation:

tack (turn into the wind)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A short nail with a sharp point and a large head

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("tack" is a kind of...):

nail (a thin pointed piece of metal that is hammered into materials as a fastener)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tack"):

carpet tack (a tack used to nail down carpets)

tintack (tack or small nail of tinned iron)

drawing pin; pushpin; thumbtack (a tack for attaching papers to a bulletin board or drawing board)

Derivation:

tack (fasten with tacks)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Gear for a horse

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

saddlery; stable gear; tack

Hypernyms ("tack" is a kind of...):

appurtenance; gear; paraphernalia (equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles needed for a particular operation or sport etc.)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tack"):

bit (piece of metal held in horse's mouth by reins and used to control the horse while riding)

caparison; housing; trapping (stable gear consisting of a decorated covering for a horse, especially (formerly) for a warhorse)

cinch; girth (stable gear consisting of a band around a horse's belly that holds the saddle in place)

hame (stable gear consisting of either of two curved supports that are attached to the collar of a draft horse and that hold the traces)

harness (stable gear consisting of an arrangement of leather straps fitted to a draft animal so that it can be attached to and pull a cart)

headgear (stable gear consisting of any part of a harness that fits about the horse's head)

martingale (a harness strap that connects the nose piece to the girth; prevents the horse from throwing back its head)

horse blanket; saddle blanket; saddlecloth (stable gear consisting of a blanket placed under the saddle)

yoke (stable gear that joins two draft animals at the neck so they can work together as a team)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(nautical) a line (rope or chain) that regulates the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

mainsheet; sheet; shroud; tack; weather sheet

Hypernyms ("tack" is a kind of...):

line (something (as a cord or rope) that is long and thin and flexible)

Domain category:

navigation; sailing; seafaring (the work of a sailor)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tack"):

futtock shroud (shroud that is part of a ship's rigging)

Holonyms ("tack" is a part of...):

ship (a vessel that carries passengers or freight)

Derivation:

tack (turn into the wind)

Sense 5

Meaning:

(nautical) the act of changing tack

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

tack; tacking

Hypernyms ("tack" is a kind of...):

change of course (a change in the direction that you are moving)

Domain category:

navigation; sailing; seafaring (the work of a sailor)

Derivation:

tack (reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action))

Sense 6

Meaning:

Sailing a zigzag course

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("tack" is a kind of...):

sailing (riding in a sailboat)

• TACK (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fasten with tacks

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

tack the notice on the board

Hypernyms (to "tack" is one way to...):

fasten; fix; secure (cause to be firmly attached)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "tack"):

thumbtack (fasten with thumbtacks)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Also:

tack on (fix to; attach)

Derivation:

tack (a short nail with a sharp point and a large head)

tacker (a hand-held machine for driving staples home)

tacker (a sewer who fastens a garment with long loose stitches)

tacker (a worker who fastens things by tacking them (as with tacks or by spotwelding))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Turn into the wind

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

tack; wear round

Context example:

The boat tacked

Hypernyms (to "tack" is one way to...):

sail (travel on water propelled by wind)

Domain category:

navigation; pilotage; piloting (the guidance of ships or airplanes from place to place)

boat (a small vessel for travel on water)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

tack ((nautical) a line (rope or chain) that regulates the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind)

tack (the heading or position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails)

tacking ((nautical) the act of changing tack)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Create by putting components or members together

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

assemble; piece; put together; set up; tack; tack together

Context example:

They set up a committee

Hypernyms (to "tack" is one way to...):

create; make (make or cause to be or to become)

join (cause to become joined or linked)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "tack"):

comfit; confect; confection (make into a confection)

confuse; jumble; mix up (assemble without order or sense)

reassemble (assemble once again, after taking something apart)

configure (set up for a particular purpose)

compound (create by mixing or combining)

rig up (erect or construct, especially as a temporary measure)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Sew together loosely, with large stitches

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

baste; tack

Context example:

baste a hem

Hypernyms (to "tack" is one way to...):

run up; sew; sew together; stitch (fasten by sewing; do needlework)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

tacker (a sewer who fastens a garment with long loose stitches)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Fix to; attach

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

append; hang on; tack; tack on; tag on

Context example:

append a charm to the necklace

Hypernyms (to "tack" is one way to...):

attach (cause to be attached)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "tack"):

subjoin (add to the end)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

alternate; flip; flip-flop; interchange; switch; tack

Hypernyms (to "tack" is one way to...):

change by reversal; reverse; turn (change to the contrary)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

tack ((nautical) the act of changing tack)

 Context examples 

It is well enough on this tack, but I would have you tell me what I am to do on the other.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The blood ran down the faster, to be sure, but I was my own master again and only tacked to the mast by my coat and shirt.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

When all was ready, the word “hard-a-lee” was passed forward to me from man to man; and the Ghost heeled about on the port tack with practically no noise at all.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

But you must come up and tack on my patterns all the same.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

She stole a glance at Martin, who was busy putting the boat about on the other tack, and she could have hated him for having made her do an immodest and shameful thing.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

With a northerly breeze it lies placid and sheltered, inviting the storm-tossed craft to tack into it for rest and protection.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

So the tailor took his needle, and with a few large stitches put some of the planks together; and he sat down upon these, and sailed about and gathered up all pieces of the boat; and then tacked them together so quickly that the boat was soon ready, and they then reached the ship and got home safe.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

There was a collection of needles and pins, from a foot to half a yard long; four wasp stings, like joiner’s tacks; some combings of the queen’s hair; a gold ring, which one day she made me a present of, in a most obliging manner, taking it from her little finger, and throwing it over my head like a collar.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

I went to my work as usual at ten o’clock, but the door was shut and locked, with a little square of cardboard hammered on to the middle of the panel with a tack.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I make bold to say that the man who can carry these objects out with success has deserved better of the country than the officer of a battleship, tacking from Ushant to the Black Rocks and back again until she builds up a reef with her beef-bones.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)