tack
    n 1: the heading or position of a vessel relative to the trim of
         its sails
    2: a short nail with a sharp point and a large head
    3: gear for a horse [syn: stable gear, saddlery, tack]
    4: (nautical) a line (rope or chain) that regulates the angle at
       which a sail is set in relation to the wind [syn: sheet,
       tack, mainsheet, weather sheet, shroud]
    5: (nautical) the act of changing tack [syn: tack, tacking]
    6: sailing a zigzag course
    v 1: fasten with tacks; "tack the notice on the board"
    2: turn into the wind; "The sailors decided to tack the boat";
       "The boat tacked" [syn: tack, wear round]
    3: create by putting components or members together; "She pieced
       a quilt"; "He tacked together some verses"; "They set up a
       committee" [syn: assemble, piece, put together, set
       up, tack, tack together] [ant: break apart, break
       up, disassemble, dismantle, take apart]
    4: sew together loosely, with large stitches; "baste a hem"
       [syn: baste, tack]
    5: fix to; attach; "append a charm to the necklace" [syn:
       append, tag on, tack on, tack, hang on]
    6: reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action) [syn:
       interchange, tack, switch, alternate, flip, flip-
       flop]

Tack \Tack\, n. [From an old or dialectal form of F. tache. See
   Techy.]
   1. A stain; a tache. [Obs.]
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   2. [Cf. L. tactus.] A peculiar flavor or taint; as, a musty
      tack. [Obs. or Colloq.] --Drayton.
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Tack \Tack\, n. [OE. tak, takke, a fastening; akin to D. tak a
   branch, twig, G. zacke a twig, prong, spike, Dan. takke a
   tack, spike; cf. also Sw. tagg prickle, point, Icel. t[=a]g a
   willow twig, Ir. taca a peg, nail, fastening, Gael. tacaid,
   Armor. & Corn. tach; perhaps akin to E. take. Cf. Attach,
   Attack, Detach, Tag an end, Zigzag.]
   1. A small, short, sharp-pointed nail, usually having a
      broad, flat head.
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   2. That which is attached; a supplement; an appendix. See
      Tack, v. t., 3. --Macaulay.
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            Some tacks had been made to money bills in King
            Charles's time.                       --Bp. Burnet.
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   3. (Naut.)
      (a) A rope used to hold in place the foremost lower
          corners of the courses when the vessel is closehauled
          (see Illust. of Ship); also, a rope employed to pull
          the lower corner of a studding sail to the boom.
      (b) The part of a sail to which the tack is usually
          fastened; the foremost lower corner of fore-and-aft
          sails, as of schooners (see Illust. of Sail).
      (c) The direction of a vessel in regard to the trim of her
          sails; as, the starboard tack, or port tack; -- the
          former when she is closehauled with the wind on her
          starboard side; hence, the run of a vessel on one
          tack; also, a change of direction; as, to take a
          different tack; -- often used metaphorically.
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   4. (Scots Law) A contract by which the use of a thing is set,
      or let, for hire; a lease. --Burrill.
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   5. Confidence; reliance. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
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   Tack of a flag (Naut.), a line spliced into the eye at the
      foot of the hoist for securing the flag to the halyards.
      

   Tack pins (Naut.), belaying pins; -- also called jack
      pins.

   To haul the tacks aboard (Naut.), to set the courses.

   To hold tack, to last or hold out. --Milton.
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Tack \Tack\, v. i. (Naut.)
   To change the direction of a vessel by shifting the position
   of the helm and sails; also (as said of a vessel), to have
   her direction changed through the shifting of the helm and
   sails. See Tack, v. t., 4.
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         Monk, . . . when he wanted his ship to tack to
         larboard, moved the mirth of his crew by calling out,
         "Wheel to the left."                     --Macaulay.
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Tack \Tack\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tacked; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Tacking.] [Cf. OD. tacken to touch, take, seize, fix, akin
   to E. take. See Tack a small nail.]
   1. To fasten or attach. "In hopes of getting some commendam
      tacked to their sees." --Swift.
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            And tacks the center to the sphere.   --Herbert.
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   2. Especially, to attach or secure in a slight or hasty
      manner, as by stitching or nailing; as, to tack together
      the sheets of a book; to tack one piece of cloth to
      another; to tack on a board or shingle; to tack one piece
      of metal to another by drops of solder.
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   3. In parliamentary usage, to add (a supplement) to a bill;
      to append; -- often with on or to; as, to tack on a
      non-germane appropriation to a bill. --Macaulay.
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   4. (Naut.) To change the direction of (a vessel) when sailing
      closehauled, by putting the helm alee and shifting the
      tacks and sails so that she will proceed to windward
      nearly at right angles to her former course.
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   Note: In tacking, a vessel is brought to point at first
         directly to windward, and then so that the wind will
         blow against the other side.
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TACK, Scotch law. A contract of location by which the use of land, or any 
other immovable subject, is, set to the lessee or tacksman for a certain 
yearly rent, either in money, the fruits of tho ground, or services. Ersk. 
Prin. Laws of Scot. B. 2, t. 6, n. 8; 1 Tho. Co. Litt. 209. This word is 
nearly synonymous with lease.