VocabauraVOCABAURA

tack

noun · verb

Simple meaning

A short nail with a sharp point and a large head.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

tak
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈtæk

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. A short nail with a sharp point and a large head

  2. A small nail with a flat head.

  3. sewing

    A loose seam used to temporarily fasten pieces of cloth.

  4. figurative

    A direction or course of action, especially a new one; a method or approach to solving a problem.

  5. Any of the various equipment and accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals.

  6. That which is attached; a supplement; an appendix.

verb

  1. To sew/stitch with a tack (loose seam used to temporarily fasten pieces of cloth).

  2. To weld with initial small welds to temporarily fasten in preparation for full welding.

  3. To add something as an extra item.

  4. transitive

    To nail (something) with a tack (small nail with a flat head).

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: A short nail with a sharp point and a large head

Used this way, tack is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Matter-of-fact
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use tack

  • “Tack the notice on the board.”verb
  • “The sailors decided to tack the boat.”verb

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “tack”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Loose

tack cloth

Lower

new tack

Other combinations

tack roomhard tackdifferent tackstarboard tackport tackopposite tack

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • tack togetherverbCompound term

    Create by putting components or members together.

  • tack onverbCompound term

    Fix to.

  • tack hammernounCompound term

    A light hammer that is used to drive tacks.

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “tack” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.