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to tack

to tack

4 6.7
Sew pieces together with large loose stitches to hold them
  • verb
  • /tæk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hilvanar
  • A piece of cloth has been tacked at the neck and drapes down like a sari.
  • tack together
  • tack into place
  • tack a piece

Examples

  • That way I can just tack this down right in here to keep it all nice and tight so it doesn't flop out.

  • So what I did last night after you guys all left is I, I tacked these two pieces together.

  • I'm still going to take the same approach and tack the center of each end.

  • So again, tack, fold, tack, cut.

  • A paisley bedspread is tacked over the window.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • A vinyl shower curtain is tacked across the doorway to the main room, from where most of the smell seems to come.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Jeff tacked purple carpeting on its floors and installed an ice-fishing stove in the kitchen.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • I took the toolbox from under the sink, found the hammer and some nails, and tried to tack the bathrobe over the smashed window, wishing I had plywood.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • She tacked the fabric together to make sure the seams were straight before sewing them properly.

  • Before finishing the quilt, he decided to tack the layers in place to prevent any shifting.

Synonyms

to baste
vsto tack
  • Specialized
1 7.5

To sew fabric together temporarily with large loose stitches

means the same temporary sewing but is an alternative term used for it
to tack together
vsto tack
4.7

To join parts quickly in a careless, temporary way

refers specifically to temporary sewing of fabric rather than general makeshift joining

Idioms

sharp as a tack
  • Informal
5 6.7

Able to understand new things very quickly

Phrasal Verbs

19 4.1

Add something extra that was not planned

1 5.1

To try a different way to deal with a problem

1 5.4

To fasten something to a surface with a small nail or pin

To join parts quickly in a careless, temporary way

Compounds

1 5.7

A small sharp nail with a flat head that holds a carpet to the floor

1 6.5

A small decorative pin that holds a tie to a shirt

tailor's tack
  • Specialized
9.5

A temporary loose loop stitch that marks where to fold or sew fabric

A small light hammer used to drive small nails into wood

1.6

A game for two players who take turns marking a three by three grid to make three in a row

How Permanent

to hem
1 4.1
to sew
242 1.0
to stitch
99 2.5
to tack
  • Specialized
4 6.7

Surface Forms

tack infinitive
tacked past
tacked past participle
tacking present participle
tacks third person singular

Etymology

A helpful way to remember the sewing verb tack is to think of making a quick, loose hold—like using pins or a small tack—so these stitches simply 'hold' the cloth before the final sewing.