tare
C1Technical/Formal (for weight); Literary/Botanical (for plant); Archaic/Biblical (for worthless thing).
Definition
Meaning
The weight of an empty container or vehicle, which is subtracted from the gross weight to determine the net weight of the contents.
1. A vetch or similar weed, especially one growing among cereal crops. 2. A biblical term for a worthless or undesirable thing. 3. In computing/electronics, the zeroing of a scale or instrument.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is polysemous with distinct, unrelated meanings. The 'weight' sense is the most common in modern technical and commercial contexts. The 'plant' sense is botanical/literary. The 'worthless thing' sense is archaic and primarily found in biblical translations (e.g., 'separate the wheat from the tare').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The 'weight' sense is standard in both varieties. The botanical term is recognized but rarely used in everyday speech in either region.
Connotations
Neutral and technical for the weight sense. The botanical/biblical senses carry a slightly archaic or specialised flavour.
Frequency
The 'weight' sense has low-to-medium frequency in logistics, shipping, and commerce. Other senses are very low frequency.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Tare [the scales] (verb)The [tare] of [the container] (noun)[Gross weight] minus [tare] equals [net weight]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Separate the wheat from the tares (archaic/biblical)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in logistics, shipping invoices, and inventory management to calculate the net weight of goods.
Academic
Used in chemistry labs (weighing by difference), physics, and engineering contexts.
Everyday
Rare. Might be encountered when using kitchen or bathroom scales with a 'tare' button.
Technical
Standard term in weighing instrumentation, freight transport, and manufacturing.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Please tare the scales before adding the reagent.
- The system automatically tares the weight of the pallet.
American English
- Tare the scale with the bowl on it.
- The new software allows you to tare multiple containers at once.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The recipe said to 'tare' the scale after putting the mixing bowl on it.
- The gross weight includes the tare of the packaging.
- To find the net weight, you must subtract the tare weight of the container from the gross weight.
- Ancient farmers considered tares to be harmful weeds among their wheat.
- The logistics software automatically calculates the tare for standardised containers, streamlining the invoicing process.
- The parable's metaphor of separating wheat from tares illustrates the judgement between the righteous and the wicked.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TARE on a scale: you Take Away the Container's weight to Reveal the Exact weight of the contents.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUBTRACTION AS PURIFICATION (The tare is the impurity/container removed to reveal the true, valuable substance).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'tar' (смола).
- The botanical sense is 'вика' (a vetch), not a common word.
- The weight sense is 'тара' or 'вес тары', which is a direct cognate, making this the easiest sense for Russian speakers.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'tare' with 'tear' (to rip) or 'tear' (from eye).
- Using 'tare' as a general synonym for 'weight' instead of specifically the container's weight.
- Misspelling as 'tape' or 'tair'.
Practice
Quiz
In a shipping context, what does 'tare' specifically refer to?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is common in specific fields like logistics, chemistry, and cooking (with digital scales), but not in general everyday conversation.
Tare is the weight of the container. Net weight is the weight of the contents alone. Gross weight is the total (tare + net).
No, they are etymologically distinct homographs. 'Tare' (plant) comes from Middle English, possibly of Germanic origin. 'Tare' (weight) comes from Italian 'tara', from Arabic 'ṭarḥa', meaning 'thing deducted'.
Place your empty container on the scale, then press 'Tare'. The display will reset to zero. Now you can add your ingredient, and the scale will show only the weight of the ingredient.