taut

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Related to taut: Bruno Taut

taut

trim; tidy; tense: She speaks in short, taut sentences.

Not to be confused with:

taught – past tense of teach: He taught me to sing.

taut

(tôt)

adj. taut·er, taut·est

a. Pulled or drawn tight; not slack. See Synonyms at tight.

b. Flexed or not loose: taut muscles.

c. Strained or tense: taut nerves.

a. Kept in good order; trim: a taut ship.

b. Marked by the efficient, sparing, or concise use of something, such as language or detail: a taut movie script.

[Middle English tohte, distended, perhaps ultimately from Old English togian, to drag; see tow¹.]

taut′ly adv.

taut′ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

taut

(tɔːt)

adj

1. tightly stretched; tense

2. showing nervous strain; stressed

3. (Nautical Terms) chiefly nautical in good order; neat

[C14 tought; probably related to Old English togian to tow¹]

ˈtautly adv

ˈtautness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

taut

(tɔt)

adj. -er, -est.

1. tightly drawn; tense; not slack.

2. emotionally or mentally strained or tense: taut nerves.

3. in good order or condition; tidy; neat; trim.

[1275–1325; earlier taught, Middle English tought; akin to tow¹]

taut′ly, adv.

taut′ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	taut - pulled or drawn tight; "taut sails"; "a tight drumhead"; "a tight rope" tight tense - taut or rigid; stretched tight; "tense piano strings"
	2.	taut - subjected to great tension; stretched tight; "the skin of his face looked drawn and tight"; "her nerves were taut as the strings of a bow" tense - in or of a state of physical or nervous tension

taut

adjective

1. tense, rigid, tight, stressed, stretched, strained, flexed When muscles are taut or cold, there is more chance of injury.
tense relaxed, loose, slack

2. tight, stretched, rigid, tightly stretched The clothes line is pulled taut and secured.
tight relaxed, loose, slack

3. strained, stressed, tense, fraught, drawn, drained, sapped, uptight (informal) She started to lose the taut air of anxiety.

4. concise, terse, succinct, sharp, crisp, compact, pithy a taut thriller about the hijacking of a school bus

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

taut

adjective

1. Stretched tightly:

stiff, tense, tight.

2. In good order or clean condition:

neat, orderly, shipshape, snug, spick-and-span, spruce, tidy, trig, trim, well-groomed.

Chiefly British: tight.

Idiom: neat as a pin.

Translations

مُوَتَّر، مَشْدود، مَمْدود

napjatýnapínavý

stram

straff angespannt

jännitettykireätiukka

tendu

strekktur

teso

nostiegrotsnostiepts

napiętynaprężony

напряжённый натянутый

gergin

拉紧的

taut

[tɔːt] ADJ

1. (= tight) [rope] → tirante, tenso; [skin] → tirante
the rope is held taut by weights → la cuerda se mantiene tirante or tensa mediante unos pesos
to pull sth taut → tensar algo
to stretch sth taut → estirar algo hasta que quede tirante

2. (= tense) [person, face, voice] → tenso
their faces were taut with fear → tenían el rostro tenso por el miedo

3. (= firm) [body, legs] → firme, de carnes prietas; [muscles] → firme

4. (= tightly written) [novel, film] → compacto

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

taut

[ˈtɔːt] adj

(= stretched tight) [wire, rope, muscles, skin] → tendu(e)

(= firm) [body] → ferme

(= strained) [expression, voice] → tendu(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

taut

adj (+er)

rope → straff (gespannt); skin → straff; muscles → stramm, gestrafft; to hold something taut → etw straff halten; to be stretched taut → straff gespannt sein; to pull something taut → etw stramm ziehen; taut round thighs → pralle Oberschenkel pl

(fig: = tense) nerves, situation → (an)gespannt; person, voice → angespannt; look → gespannt; his face was taut with anger → sein Gesicht war vor Wut verzogen

(fig: = precise, economical) style, prose → knapp

(= lean) person → schlank; body → straff

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

taut

[tɔːt] adj (-er (comp) (-est (superl))) (also) (fig) → teso/a

taut

(toːt) adjective

pulled tight. Keep the string taut while you tie a knot in it.

ˈtauten verb

to make or become taut. The ropes were tautened.

References in classic literature ?

Therefore the sailor will never say, "cast anchor," and the ship-master aft will hail his chief mate on the forecastle in impressionistic phrase: "How does the cable grow?" Because "grow" is the right word for the long drift of a cable emerging aslant under the strain, taut as a bow-string above the water.

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32-54) When he had said this, he had mast and sail hoisted on the ship, and the wind filled the sail and the crew hauled taut the sheets on either side.

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It was croquet in our time, and the ladies had not reefed in their skirts quite so taut. What year would it be?

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As they went cutting sidewise through the water, the sails bellied taut, with the wind filling and overflowing them.

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Immediately we heard Croz's exclamation, old Peter and I planted ourselves as firmly as the rocks would permit; the rope was taut between us, and the jerk came on us both as on one man.

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"Silver," said the other man--and I observed he was not only red in the face, but spoke as hoarse as a crow, and his voice shook too, like a taut rope--"Silver," says he, "you're old, and you're honest, or has the name for it; and you've money too, which lots of poor sailors hasn't; and you're brave, or I'm mistook.

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The two officers led Michael away, and after several minutes returned along the deck, Michael stretched out ahead on the taut rope seeking Steward.

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My salmon boat was a-soak, but in the snug cabin of the sloop dry blankets and a dry bunk were mine; and we lay and smoked and yarned of old days, while overhead the wind screamed through the rigging and taut halyards drummed against the mast.

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Had there been a steady breeze it would not have been so bad, but the Ghost was rolling emptily in a long sea, and with each roll the canvas flapped and boomed and the halyards slacked and jerked taut. They were capable of snapping a man off like a fly from a whip-lash.

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Drawing the noose taut, he tested the solidity of its hold.

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Here the ape-man unloosed his grass rope from about his neck, and as Numa stood above the body of the boar, challenging head erect, he dropped the sinuous noose about the maned neck, drawing the stout strands taut with a sudden jerk.

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Like a great cat Bulan drew himself cautiously to all fours--every nerve and muscle taut with the excitement of the moment.