tart

/tɑːt/ (bre, ipa) · /tɑːrt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtärt/ (ame, mw)

tart — noun

  • tartsingular
  • tartsplural

1. A small baked pastry shell with an open top, holding fruit, jam, or a creamy fil

1.名詞B2
釋義

A small baked pastry shell with an open top, holding fruit, jam, or a creamy filling but no upper crust.

例句

Esme bought a strawberry tart from the bakery on her way home from work.

collocation: strawberry / fruit / lemon tart

The Portuguese egg tarts at Olivia's cafe sell out by lunchtime every Saturday.

compound noun: egg tart / custard tart

同義詞
  • pie

    broader term; pies usually have a top crust, tarts do not

  • flan

    British: an open pastry case with sweet or savoury filling, similar to a tart

  • tartlet

    a small individual tart, often bite-sized

文法句型

a tart of [filling]

fruit tart

custard tart

用法筆記

Object of verbs like 'bake', 'make', 'eat', 'cut', 'slice'. Often modified by a fruit or filling word (apple tart, lemon tart, custard tart). British English typically distinguishes a tart (open top) from a pie (covered).

常見錯誤

❌I baked a covered tart with a top crust.
✅I baked a covered pie with a top crust.
💡a tart is open-topped; if it has a lid of pastry, it is usually called a pie.

2. A rude and insulting label aimed at women whose outfits or makeup look intention

2.名詞C1
釋義

A rude and insulting label aimed at women whose outfits or makeup look intentionally provocative in an exaggerated, attention-seeking way.

例句

Selim's grandmother sniffed and muttered that the new neighbour dressed like a tart.

fixed phrase: dress like a tart (judgemental, offensive)

The magazine was criticised for labelling young female pop singers as tarts on its cover.

pattern: label / call [woman] a tart

同義詞
  • hussy

    old-fashioned, similar judgemental tone about a woman's behaviour

  • floozy

    informal, slightly playful but still derogatory

文法句型

call someone a tart

dress like a tart

用法筆記

Strongly offensive and judgemental. Used by speakers to shame women for their appearance, not by women about themselves. Almost always appears as the object of 'call X', 'label X', or after 'dress like a'. Distinguish from sense 3 (sex worker) — sense 2 is a moral slur about appearance, not about occupation.

常見錯誤

❌She is a tart designer.
✅She is a designer of tart desserts.
💡'tart' as a noun never modifies another noun in this sense; do not use it as an adjective.

3. A dated, derogatory label for a female sex worker — someone paid by clients in e

3.名詞C1
釋義

A dated, derogatory label for a female sex worker — someone paid by clients in exchange for sexual services.

例句

The old detective novel described a row of tarts standing under streetlights near the harbour.

narrative register: dated British slang in fiction

Ignacio felt uncomfortable when his uncle used the word tart instead of sex worker.

register: dated and offensive; modern English prefers 'sex worker'

同義詞
  • prostitute

    older clinical term; still common but seen as stigmatising

  • sex worker

    modern neutral term, preferred in journalism and policy

  • hooker

    American slang, informal and offensive

文法句型

work as a tart

用法筆記

Highly offensive and dated. Modern Taiwan-facing learners should know the word to understand older books, films, and tabloid headlines, but should use 'sex worker' or 'prostitute' in their own writing. Almost never used by sex workers themselves. Distinguish from sense 2 (showy dress) — sense 3 is about paid sex, not appearance.

常見錯誤

❌I read that some students work as tarts to pay rent.
✅I read that some students do sex work to pay rent.
💡'tart' is judgemental and dated; in modern writing about sex work, choose neutral vocabulary.

tart — adjective