tarttart2 adjective 
Word Origin
a tart apple► see thesaurus at taste2tart reply/remark etc a reply, remark etc that is sharp and unkind—tartly adverb: ‘I don’t think so!’ she replied tartly.—tartness noun [uncountable]
Word OriginWORD ORIGINtart2
ExamplesOrigin:
Old English teart ‘sharp, severe’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Red currants are quite tart and usually need sugar or honey.
- This tart citrus dressing is great on salads.
- The Cointreau adds some sweetness, but the cranberry juice is tart as well so the overall effect is a tart drink.
- The girl with the tart tongue?
THESAURUSdescribing the taste of something► delicious
Collocations having a very good taste: · This cake is delicious!· a delicious meal
► disgusting/revolting having a very bad taste: · The medicine tasted disgusting.· They had to eat revolting things, like fish eyes.
► sweet tasting full of sugar: · The oranges were very sweet.
► tasty especially spoken tasting good and with plenty of flavour: · She cooked us a simple but tasty meal.· That was really tasty!
► sour/tart having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does – used especially when this is rather unpleasant: · The apples were a little sour.· The wine has rather a tart taste, which not everyone will like.
► tangy having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does, in a way that seems good: · The dressing was nice and tangy.
► bitter having a strong taste which is not sweet and is sometimes rather unpleasant – used for example about black coffee, or chocolate without sugar: · bitter chocolate· The medicine had rather a bitter taste.· Hops give beer its distinctive bitter taste.
► salty containing a lot of salt: · Danish salami has a salty flavour.
► hot/spicy having a burning taste because it contains strong spices: · I love hot curries.· a spicy tomato sauce
► piquant formal a little spicy – used especially by people who write about food. This word can sound rather pretentious in everyday conversation: · cooked vegetables in a piquant sauce
► mild not having a strong or hot taste – usually used about foods that can sometimes be spicy: · a mild curry
► bland not having an interesting taste: · I found the sauce rather bland.
► bitter having a strong sharp taste that is not sweet, like black coffee without sugar – used especially about chocolate, medicine etc: · The dessert is made with a slightly bitter chocolate.· Hops give beer its distinctive bitter taste.· The medicine tasted bitter.· As the lettuce gets older, the leaves become more bitter.
► sharp having a taste that makes your tongue sting slightly: · Rhubarb has quite a sharp taste.· The cheese has a pleasing colour and a pleasantly sharp flavour.
► sour having a usually unpleasant sharp acid taste, like the taste of a lemon, or a fruit that is not ready to be eaten – used especially about fruit, or about liquids that have gone bad: · Some people say that the purpose of the lemon’s sour taste is to stop the fruit being eaten by animals.· Rachel sampled the wine. It was sour.
► acidic very sour – used especially about liquids or things made with fruits such as oranges, lemons, or grapes: · Some fruit juices taste a bit acidic.
► tangy having a taste that is pleasantly strong or sharp, and that often tastes a little sweet as well: · The ribs are cooked in a tangy barbecue sauce.
► tart having a taste that lacks sweetness – used especially about fruit such as apples, which you need to add sugar to: · The pudding had rather a tart flavour.· The trees were covered with tart wild plums.
Longman Language Activatorwith a sour taste► sour food that is sour , especially fruit, has a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like a lemon does: · The strawberries are a little sour - you may need to put sugar on them.· Kvass is a mild beer that is sometimes used in Russian cooking for its sour flavor.
► tart fruits that are tart , especially apples, sting your tongue and make water come into your mouth: · This tart citrus dressing is great on salads.· Red currants are quite tart and usually need sugar or honey.
► sharp having a strong but pleasant taste that stings your tongue: · The drink had a very sharp lemony taste.· I like this marmalade. It's very sharp.· The lemon juice gives the dressing its sharp flavour.
► tangy having a fresh, pleasant taste that stings your tongue slightly: · The orange juice had a delicious tangy taste.· We made a tangy mayonnaise from yoghurt and honey.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► sour/tart apple
1food that is tart has a sharp sour taste: (=not at all sweet)· Some people prefer a slightly sour apple.
a tart apple► see thesaurus at taste2tart reply/remark etc a reply, remark etc that is sharp and unkind—tartly adverb: ‘I don’t think so!’ she replied tartly.—tartness noun [uncountable]