tart

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   sharp or sour in taste; a small open pastry with filling

   The apple tart had a pleasantly tart finish.

Simplified etymology

Tart in the sense of a pie dates from Middle English and originally referred to a savoury pie rather than a fruit-filled one. In mid-19th-century slang it became an affectionate term for a woman, probably as an abbreviation of sweetheart, but by the end of the century it was used disparagingly for a prostitute or promiscuous woman. Tart meaning “sharp to the taste” is an unrelated Old English word of unknown origin that originally meant “harsh” or “severe,” especially of punishment.

The adjective 'sharp-tasting' is from Old English teart ('sharp, severe, rough'), of uncertain further origin. The noun 'small pastry' is a separate word from Old French tarte, of uncertain origin.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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