tare

UK: teə | US: ter

Definition

  1. n. 1. The weight of a container or vehicle excluding its contents; used to calculate net weight.

  2. n. 2. A vetch or similar weed, especially one growing among crops.

  3. vt. 3. To account for or deduct the weight of a container (rare usage).

Structure

No data yet.

Etymology

The word has two distinct historical roots:

  1. Container Weight Sense: From Medieval Latin tara, borrowed from Arabic ṭarḥa (thing removed/deduction), reflecting trade practices in the Mediterranean.
  2. Weed Sense: From Old French tare (defect/blemish), likely from Gothic tara (rubbish), later applied to unwanted plants. The dual meanings arose independently but converged in spelling.
Examples

  1. The shipping form requires the tare weight of the empty crate.

  2. Farmers struggle to control tare infestations in wheat fields.

  3. Always tare the scale before measuring liquid ingredients.

  4. Ancient merchants used tare adjustments to ensure fair trade.

  5. The botanical guide listed tare as a common pea-family weed.