taunt

taunt · verb, noun¹

1. Old French · derived fromtempter“to try”
2. Middle French · derived fromtanter“to tempt, try, provoke”
3. English todaytaunt

From Middle French tanter (“to tempt, try, provoke”), variant of Old French tempter (“to try”). Doublet of tempt.

taunt · adjective²

1. Latin · derived fromtantus“of such size, so great, so much”
2. Old French · derived fromtant“so great”
3. English todaytaunt

Compare Old French tant (“so great”), French tant (“so much”), Latin tantus (“of such size, so great, so much”). See ataunt.

Taunt · proper noun³

Perhaps a variant of Daunt.

Words from the same roots