tart¹ (tärt)
adj., tart·er, tart·est.

1. Having a sharp pungent taste; sour. See synonyms at sour.
2. Sharp or bitter in tone or meaning; cutting.

[Middle English, from Old English teart, severe.]

tartly tart'ly adv.
tartness tart'ness n.

tart² (tärt)
n.

1. 1. A pastry shell with shallow sides, no top crust, and any of various fillings.
   2. Chiefly British. A pie.
2. 1. A prostitute.
   2. A woman considered to be sexually promiscuous.

tr.v. Chiefly British, tart·ed, tart·ing, tarts.
To dress up or make fancy in a tawdry, garish way. Often used with up.

[Middle English tarte, from Old French, perhaps alteration of tartane, from Late Latin torta, a kind of bread.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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