tack (1) — ODE

tack1 /tak

▸ noun

1 a small, sharp broad-headed nail:

tacks held the remaining rags of carpet to the floor.

▪ North American English a drawing pin:

here are some tacks—put up a notice.

2 a long stitch used to fasten fabrics together temporarily, prior to permanent sewing.

3 a method of dealing with a situation or problem; a course of action or policy:

as she could not stop him going she tried another tack and insisted on going with him.

4 Sailing an act of changing course by turning a boat's head into and through the wind, so as to bring the wind on the opposite side.

▪ a boat's course relative to the direction of the wind:

the brig bowled past on the opposite tack.

▪ a distance sailed between tacks:

it's a shame to see a yacht drop her sails and start the diesel just because she has to make a few short tacks.

5 Sailing a rope for securing the corner of certain sails.

▪ the corner to which a rope is fastened.

6 [mass noun] the quality of being sticky:

cooking the sugar to caramel gives tack to the texture.

▸ verb

1 [with object and adverbial] fasten or fix in place with tacks:

he used the tool to tack down sheets of fibreboard.

▪ [with object and adverbial] fasten (pieces of cloth) together temporarily with long stitches:

when the dress was roughly tacked together, she tried it on.

▪ (tack something on) add or append something to something already existing:

the castles have new wings and other bits tacked on

customers tell of surprise ‘nuisance fees’ tacked on to every transaction.

2 [no object] Sailing change course by turning a boat's head into and through the wind. Compare with wear2:

their boat was now downwind and they had to tack.

[from the practice of shifting ropes (see tack (sense 5 of the noun)1 of noun) to change direction]

▪ [with object] alter the course of (a boat) by tacking:

I tacked the ship shortly after midnight.

▪ [with adverbial of direction] make a series of changes of course while sailing:

but what happens when you have to tack up a narrow channel singlehanded?.

– PHRASES

on the port tack Sailing
with the wind coming from the port side of the boat:

we're now on a long stretch on the port tack.

on the starboard tack Sailing
with the wind coming from the starboard side of the boat:

as soon as the yacht is established on the starboard tack, the jib sheet is let fly.

– DERIVATIVES

tacker noun

– ORIGIN Middle English (in the general sense ‘something that fastens one thing to another’): probably related to Old French tache ‘clasp, large nail’.