1
: an incrustation on the teeth consisting of plaque that has become hardened by the deposition of mineral salts (such as calcium carbonate)
2
: a substance consisting essentially of cream of tartar that is derived from the juice of grapes and deposited in wine casks together with yeast and other suspended matters as a pale or dark reddish crust or sediment
especially
: a recrystallized product yielding cream of tartar on further purification
1
capitalized
: a native or inhabitant of Tartary
2
capitalized
: tatar sense 2
3
often capitalized
: a person of irritable or violent temper
4
: one that proves to be unexpectedly formidable
Tartar
adjective
Examples of tartar in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sherri Gordon, Health, 14 Aug. 2024
James Fellows Yates of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and his colleagues analyzed DNA from bacteria preserved in Neandertal tartar and compared it with bacterial DNA from the teeth of modern chimps, gorillas, howler monkeys and modern humans.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 25 June 2024
Traces of heroin and cocaine have been found in the tartar of 19th-century Dutch farmers.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
The menu is heavy on seafood and beef dishes like steer tartar, but there are several vegetarian and vegan options as well.
—Catherine Garcia, theweek, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tartar 
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Noun
Next, your provider will use an electrical tool to remove large amounts of tartar from your teeth.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 14 Aug. 2024
James Fellows Yates of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and his colleagues analyzed DNA from bacteria preserved in Neandertal tartar and compared it with bacterial DNA from the teeth of modern chimps, gorillas, howler monkeys and modern humans.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 25 June 2024
Traces of heroin and cocaine have been found in the tartar of 19th-century Dutch farmers.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
The menu is heavy on seafood and beef dishes like steer tartar, but there are several vegetarian and vegan options as well.
—Catherine Garcia, theweek, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tartar
Dictionary Entries Near tartar
Cite this Entry
“Tartar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tartar. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tartar
1 of 2 noun
tar·tar
ˈtärt-ər 
1
: a substance consisting mostly of cream of tartar that is found in the juice of grapes and is deposited in wine casks as a reddish crust or sediment
2
: a hard crust that forms on the teeth and consists of plaque that has become hardened with mineral salts (as of calcium)
tartar
2 of 2 noun1
capitalized
: a member of any of the chiefly Mongolian peoples who invaded parts of Asia and eastern Europe during the Middle Ages
2
: a person who is often angry or violent
Medical Definition
tartar
noun
tar·tar
ˈtärt-ər
: an incrustation on the teeth consisting of plaque that has become hardened by the deposition of mineral salts (as calcium carbonate)
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