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4 N‑COUNT If someone refers to a woman or girl as a tart , they are criticizing her because they think she is sexually immoral or dresses in a way that makes her look sexually immoral. [INFORMAL , OFFENSIVE , DISAPPROVAL ]

▸  tart up PHRASAL VERB If someone tarts up a room or building, they try to improve its appearance, often with the result that it looks vulgar. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V P n] 'Have you ever wondered why London Underground would rather tart up their stations than improve services?' he asked. □ [V -ed P ] …tarted-up pubs. [Also V n P ]

tar|tan /tɑː ^r t ^ə n/ (tartans ) N‑VAR [oft N n] Tartan is a design for cloth traditionally associated with Scotland, and which has a number of distinctive types. The design is made up of lines of different widths and colours crossing each other at right angles. Tartan is also used to refer to cloth which has this pattern.

tar|tar /tɑː ^r tə ^r / (tartars )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Tartar is a hard yellowish substance that forms on your teeth and causes them to decay if it is not removed.

2 N‑COUNT If you describe someone, especially a woman in a position of authority, as a tartar , you mean that they are fierce, bad-tempered, and strict. [INFORMAL ] □  She can be quite a tartar.

3 → see also cream of tartar

ta r|tar sau ce also tartare sauce N‑UNCOUNT Tartar sauce is a thick cold sauce, usually eaten with fish, consisting of chopped onions and capers mixed with mayonnaise.

tarty /tɑː ^r ti/ (tartier , tartiest ) ADJ If you describe a woman or her clothes as tarty , you are critical of her because she tries to make herself look sexually attractive in a vulgar way. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □  That coat made her look so tarty.

task ◆◆◇ /tɑː sk, tæ sk/ (tasks , tasking , tasked )

1 N‑COUNT A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project. □  She used the day to catch up with administrative tasks.

2 VERB If you are tasked with doing a particular activity or piece of work, someone in authority asks you to do it. □ [be V -ed + with ] The minister was tasked with checking that aid money was being spent wisely.

3 PHRASE If you take someone to task , you criticize them or tell them off because of something bad or wrong that they have done. □  The country's intellectuals are being taken to task for their failure to speak out against the regime.

ta sk force ◆◇◇ (task forces ) also taskforce

1 N‑COUNT A task force is a small section of an army, navy, or air force that is sent to a particular place to deal with a military crisis. □  They are sending a naval task force to the area to evacuate civilians.

2 N‑COUNT A task force is a group of people working together on a particular task. □  We have set up a task force to look at the question of women returning to work.

task|master /tɑː skmɑːstə ^r , tæ skmæstə ^r / (taskmasters ) N‑COUNT [usu adj N ] If you refer to someone as a hard taskmaster , you mean that they expect the people they supervise to work very hard.

tas|sel /tæ s ^ə l/ (tassels ) N‑COUNT Tassels are bunches of short pieces of wool or other material tied together at one end and attached as decorations to something such as a piece of clothing or a lampshade.

tas|selled /tæ s ^ə ld/ in AM, use tasseled ADJ Tasselled means decorated with tassels. □  …tasselled cushions.

taste ◆◆◇ /te I st/ (tastes , tasting , tasted )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Taste is one of the five senses that people have. When you have food or drink in your mouth, your sense of taste makes it possible for you to recognize what it is. □  …a keen sense of taste.

2 N‑COUNT The taste of something is the individual quality which it has when you put it in your mouth and which distinguishes it from other things. For example, something may have a sweet, bitter, sour, or salty taste. □ [+ of ] I like the taste of fast food too much to give it up.