[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

tartar \tar"tar\, n.
   1. per. t=at=ar, of tartar origin. a native or
      inhabitant of tartary in asia; a member of any one of
      numerous tribes, chiefly moslem, of turkish origin,
      inhabiting the russian europe; -- written also, more
      correctly but less usually, tatar.
      1913 webster

   2. a person of a keen, irritable temper.
      1913 webster

   to catch a tartar, to lay hold of, or encounter, a person
      who proves too strong for the assailant. colloq.
      1913 webster
see also:
tatar to catch a tartar 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

tatar
     n 1: a member of the mongolian people of central asia who invaded
          russia in the 13th century syn: tartar, mongol tatar
     2: a member of the turkic-speaking people living from the volga
        to the ural mountains the name has been attributed to
        many other groups
     3: the turkic language spoken by the tatar people living from
        the volga to the ural mountains
see also:
tartar mongol tatar 

Tatar >> T Words
Tatar, definition of term: Tatar
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