noun · verb · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/tɛə/
General-American:/tɛ(ə)ɹ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/teː/
Australian:/teə/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
/tiə/New Zealand, cheer–chair merger
New-Zealand:/teə/without the cheer–chair merger
/tɜː(ɹ)/Lancashire, fair–fur merger
rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)
homophone: tear (“rip”)
/ˈtɑːɹeɪ/
General-American:/tɛɹ/
1
noun
Meaning 1
A vetch, or the seed of a vetch (genus Vicia, esp. Vicia sativa).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any of the tufted grasses of the genus Lolium; darnel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A damaging weed growing in fields of grain.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The empty weight of a container; unladen weight.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Any of various dipping sauces served with Japanese food, typically based on soy sauce.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
Alternative form of tara (“Indian coin”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter T.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: World War II era; joint US/RAF; World War II era; joint US/RAF
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Tango
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To take into account the weight of the container, wrapping etc. in weighting merchandise.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: business, law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
To set a zero value on an instrument (usually a balance) that discounts the starting point.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: sciences
Examples
2003, Dany Spencer Adams, Lab Math, CSHL Press, p. 63, Spectrometers, for example, must be zeroed before each reading; balances must be tared before each weighing.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
verb
Meaning 10
simple past of tear
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, obsolete, past
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
(chemical analysis) a counterweight used in chemical analysis; consists of an empty container that counterbalances the weight of the container holding chemicals
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
an adjustment made for the weight of the packaging in order to determine the net weight of the goods
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: allowance, adjustment
History
Etymology
From Middle English tare (“vetch”), from Old English *taru, from Proto-West Germanic *taru.
Borrowed from Middle French tare, from Italian tara, from Arabic طَرْحَة (ṭarḥa, “that which is thrown away”), a derivative of طَرَحَ (ṭaraḥa, “to throw (away)”).
Borrowed from Japanese 垂(た)れ (tare, “sauce, gravy”).
Across languages
Translations
46 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
وَزْن فَارِغ
(wazn fāriḡ)
— the empty weight of a container
Armenian:
աբրա
(abra)
— the empty weight of a container
Armenian:
տարա
(tara)
— the empty weight of a container
Bulgarian:
тара
(tara)
— the empty weight of a container
Catalan:
tara
— the empty weight of a container
Chinese Mandarin:
皮重
(pízhòng)
— the empty weight of a container
Czech:
tára
— the empty weight of a container
Dutch:
tarra
— the empty weight of a container
Estonian:
taara
— the empty weight of a container
Finnish:
taara
— the empty weight of a container
Finnish:
tyhjäpaino
— the empty weight of a container
French:
tare
— the empty weight of a container
German:
Tara
— the empty weight of a container
Greek:
απόβαρο
(apóvaro)
— the empty weight of a container
Hungarian:
göngyölegsúly
— the empty weight of a container
Hungarian:
tára
— the empty weight of a container
Indonesian:
tara
— the empty weight of a container
Irish:
táir
— the empty weight of a container
Irish:
meáchan glan
— the empty weight of a container
Italian:
tara
— the empty weight of a container
Japanese:
風袋
(fūtai)
— the empty weight of a container
Polish:
tara
— the empty weight of a container
Portuguese:
tara
— the empty weight of a container
Romanian:
dara
— the empty weight of a container
Romanian:
tară
— the empty weight of a container
Russian:
та́ра
(tára)
— the empty weight of a container
Serbo-Croatian:
тара
— the empty weight of a container
Serbo-Croatian:
tara
— the empty weight of a container
Sicilian:
tara
— the empty weight of a container
Spanish:
tara
— the empty weight of a container
Swedish:
tara
— the empty weight of a container
Welsh:
pwysau gweili
— the empty weight of a container
Dutch:
tarreren
— to take into account the weight of a container
Finnish:
taarata
— to take into account the weight of a container
French:
tarer
— to take into account the weight of a container
German:
austarieren
— to take into account the weight of a container
Spanish:
tarar
— to take into account the weight of a container
Swedish:
tarera
— to take into account the weight of a container
Bulgarian:
тарирам
(tariram)
— to set a zero value on an instrument
Dutch:
tarreren
— to set a zero value on an instrument
Finnish:
taarata
— to set a zero value on an instrument
French:
tarer
— to set a zero value on an instrument
German:
nullen
— to set a zero value on an instrument
Hungarian:
táráz
— to set a zero value on an instrument
Spanish:
tarar
— to set a zero value on an instrument
Swedish:
tarera
— to set a zero value on an instrument