a short, sharp-pointed nail, usually with a flat, broad head.
Nautical.
a rope for extending the lower forward corner of a course.
the lower forward corner of a course or fore-and-aft sail.
the heading of a sailing vessel, when sailing close-hauled, with reference to the wind direction.
a course run obliquely against the wind.
one of the series of straight runs that make up the zigzag course of a ship proceeding to windward.
a course of action or conduct, especially one differing from some preceding or other course.
one of the movements of a zigzag course on land.
a stitch, especially a long stitch used in fastening seams, preparatory to a more thorough sewing.
a fastening, especially of a temporary kind.
stickiness, as of nearly dry paint or glue or of a printing ink or gummed tape; adhesiveness.
the gear used in equipping a horse, including saddle, bridle, martingale, etc.
verb (used with object)
to fasten by a tack or tacks: to tack a rug to the floor.
to secure by some slight or temporary fastening.
to join together; unite; combine.
to attach as something supplementary; append; annex (often followed by on or onto).
Nautical.
to change the course of (a sailing vessel) to the opposite tack.
to navigate (a sailing vessel) by a series of tacks.
to equip (a horse) with tack.
verb (used without object)
Nautical.
to change the course of a sailing vessel by bringing the head into the wind and then causing it to fall off on the other side: He ordered us to tack at once.
(of a sailing vessel) to change course in this way.
to proceed to windward by a series of courses as close to the wind as the vessel will sail.
to take or follow a zigzag course or route.
to change one's course of action, conduct, ideas, etc.
to equip a horse with tack (usually followed by up): Please tack up quickly.
Idioms for tack
on the wrong tack, under a misapprehension; in error; astray: His line of questioning began on the wrong tack.
Origin of tack
1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tak, take, takke “buckle, clasp, nail” (later, “tack”); “protective metal plate (on a cart),” from Old North French taque “back of a chimney”; cognate with German Zacke “prong, point,” Dutch tak “twig, bough”; the verb is derivative of the noun; see tache, attach
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English tak, takke, tac “fee paid to a lord, customary fee,” from Old Norse tak “hold, grasp, seizure, goods”; see origin at take
A consistent tack for President Trump as he defends his handling of the novel coronavirus and race relations — two issues that are dragging down his reelection chances — is to dodge acknowledging how bad either of them are.
Trump keeps dodging the crux of major issues — and that’s showing in his reelection prospects|Amber Phillips|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
But, under a new administration, the government has changed tack.
Uber and Bolt are set to face expensive ride-hailing regulation in Africa’s largest city|Yomi Kazeem|August 11, 2020|Quartz
It’s not ideal that Republicans are taking this tack, as the right to vote is so important.
Five Ways Trump And GOP Officials Are Undermining The Election Process|Perry Bacon Jr. (perry.bacon@fivethirtyeight.com)|August 11, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Now Johnson is on a mission to teach the next generation of teachers how to take a new tack.
Is School Out Forever?|Daniel Malloy|August 9, 2020|Ozy
In the weeks after coronavirus clamped the country in a vise of social distancing regulations, many ad sellers tried new tacks to keep their clients engaged.
‘This is a relationship business’: The in-person client meeting is beginning to make a comeback among publishers|Max Willens|July 13, 2020|Digiday
Pulling oil from the tar sands is costly, even more so when you tack transportation costs on top.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4|PunditFact.com|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Anytime we have to put up the sail or tack or do any maneuvering, it requires all hands on deck.