To catch a tartar

To catch a tartar
Tartar Tar"tar, n. 1. [Per. T[=a]t[=a]r, of Tartar origin.] A native or inhabitant of Tartary in Asia; a member of any one of numerous tribes, chiefly Moslem, of Turkish origin, inhabiting the Russian Europe; -- written also, more correctly but less usually, {Tatar}. [1913 Webster]

2. A person of a keen, irritable temper. [1913 Webster]

{To catch a tartar}, to lay hold of, or encounter, a person who proves too strong for the assailant. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Tartar — Tar tar, n. 1. [Per. T[=a]t[=a]r, of Tartar origin.] A native or inhabitant of Tartary in Asia; a member of any one of numerous tribes, chiefly Moslem, of Turkish origin, inhabiting the Russian Europe; written also, more correctly but less… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tartar — mid 14c. (implied in Tartary, the land of the Tartars ), from M.L. Tartarus, from Pers. Tatar, first used 13c. in reference to the hordes of Ghengis Khan (1202 1227), said to be ultimately from Tata, a name of the Mongols for themselves. Form in… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Tartar — [tärt′ər] n. [ME Tartre < ML Tartarus, a Tatar, altered (after TARTARUS) < Pers Tātār] 1. TATAR 2. [usually t ] an irritable, violent, intractable person adj. TATAR catch a tartar to attack or oppose so …   English World dictionary

  • Tartar — Tartarly, adv. /tahr teuhr/, n. 1. a member of any of the various tribes, chiefly Mongolian and Turkish, who, originally under the leadership of Genghis Khan, overran Asia and much of eastern Europe in the Middle Ages. 2. a member of the… …   Universalium

  • Tartar, Tatar — Standard dictionaries differ in their recommendations for the preferred use of this term. Both Tatar and Tartar refer to a member of one of the Mongolian tribes under Genghis Khan and his descendants which overran much of Asia and Eastern Europe… …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • Tartar —    The Tatars were part of the Asiatic hordes of Genghis Khan, which, in the thirteenth century, swept into Eastern Europe by way of Tatary, in Siberia. These tribes overran Asia and much of Europe, as far west as Poland. The tribes were ruthless …   Dictionary of eponyms

  • Tartar — /ˈtatə/ (say tahtuh) noun 1. a member of any of a mingled host of Mongolian, Turkish, and other peoples who, under the leadership of Genghis Khan, overran Asia and eastern Europe during the Middle Ages. 2. a member of the descendants of this… …  

  • Tatar — Tartar Tar tar, n. 1. [Per. T[=a]t[=a]r, of Tartar origin.] A native or inhabitant of Tartary in Asia; a member of any one of numerous tribes, chiefly Moslem, of Turkish origin, inhabiting the Russian Europe; written also, more correctly but less …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Complete Bibliography of Gordon R. Dickson — The complete Bibliography of Gordon R. Dickson.Collections Anthologies1950s* 1957 Earthman s Burden , with Poul Anderson (Gnome, hc, collection) ** The Sheriff of Canyon Gulch , aka Heroes Are Made (1951, ss) ** Don Jones (original nv) ** In Hoka …   Wikipedia

  • Bibliography of Gordon R. Dickson — The complete bibliography of Gordon R. Dickson. Contents 1 Collections anthologies 1.1 1950s 1.2 1960s 1.3 1970s 1.4 …   Wikipedia

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