Tartar

noun
1.
Dentistry. calculus (def 3).
2.
the deposit from wines, potassium bitartrate.
3.
the intermediate product of cream of tartar, obtained from the crude form, argol.
noun, Obsolete.
1.
Tartarus.
noun
1.
a member of any of the various tribes, chiefly Mongolian and Turkish, who, originally under the leadership of Genghis Khan, overran Asia and much of eastern Europe in the Middle Ages.
2.
a member of the descendants of this people variously intermingled with other peoples and tribes, now inhabiting parts of the European and W and central Asian Russian Federation.
3.
Tatar (defs 1–3).
4.
(often lowercase) a savage, intractable person.
5.
(often lowercase) an ill-tempered person.
adjective
6.
of or relating to a Tartar or Tartars; Tartarian.
7.
Tatar (def 5).
Idioms
8.
catch a Tartar, to deal with someone or something that proves unexpectedly troublesome or powerful.
Also, catch a tartar.
noun
1.
(dentistry) a hard crusty deposit on the teeth, consisting of food, cellular debris, and mineral salts
2.
Also called argol. a brownish-red substance consisting mainly of potassium hydrogen tartrate, present in grape juice and deposited during the fermentation of wine
noun
1.
(sometimes capital) a fearsome or formidable person
noun, adjective
1.
a variant spelling of Tatar

tartar tar·tar (tär’tər)
n.
A hard, yellowish deposit on the teeth, consisting of organic secretions and food particles deposited in various salts, such as calcium carbonate. Also called dental calculus.
tartar
(tär’tər)

A hard yellowish deposit on the teeth, consisting of organic secretions and food particles deposited in various salts, such as calcium carbonate.

A reddish acid compound consisting of a tartrate of potassium, found in the juice of grapes and deposited on the sides of wine casks.