tait

T1A1I1T1
/teɪt/

noun

The honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus).

OriginMiddle English Tayte ← Old Norse teitr ← Proto-Germanic *taitaz →
Less commonScrabble 4
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Meanings

tait1

nountait (plural taits)

plural taits

  1. The honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus).

Tait2

proper nounTait (plural Taits)

plural Taits

  1. A Scottish surname transferred from the nickname, originally a nickname for a cheerful or lively person.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
honey possumnoolbenger

Origin

tait · noun

A borrowing into English of the Australian aboriginal name for the animal.

Full word history & related roots →

Tait · proper noun

  1. Proto-Germanic*taitaz“glad, delicate, tender, radiant”
  2. Old Norseteitr“cheerful, glad”
  3. Middle Englishtayt
  4. Middle EnglishTayte
  5. EnglishTait

From Middle English Tayte, Tayt, Teyt (personal name), from Middle English tayt, teyte (“cheerful, merry”), from Old Norse teitr (“cheerful, glad”), from Proto-Germanic *taitaz (“glad, delicate, tender, radiant”). Cognate with Old English tāt (“glad”, attested in names), Old High German zeiz (“loving, pleasant, tender”).

More words from Middle English, Old Norse, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with tait

datestategreatratecreateupdateweightlatecertificatewaiteightstraightplatechocolatedebatehategatedonateevaluatelocatekatealternatetranslatemate
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

tateTateTaitTate

Anagrams

titatati
Cite this entry
APA

tait. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tait

MLA

“tait.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tait. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tait,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tait.

Source: tait on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.