Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The equipment used in a particular activity, especially in fishing; gear.
- n. Nautical A system of ropes and blocks for raising and lowering weights of rigging and pulleys for applying tension.
- n. A rope and its pulley.
- n. Sports The act of stopping an opposing player carrying the ball, especially by forcing the opponent to the ground, as in football or Rugby.
- n. Sports The act of obstructing a player in order to cause loss of possession of the ball, as in soccer.
- n. Football One of two offensive linemen positioned between the guard and the end on either side of the ball.
- n. Football One of two defensive linemen positioned to the inside of either end.
- n. Football Either of these positions.
- v. To grab hold of and wrestle with (an opponent).
- v. Sports To stop (an opponent carrying the ball), especially by forcing the opponent to the ground.
- v. Sports To obstruct (a player with the ball) in order to cause loss of possession of the ball.
- v. To engage or deal with: tackle a perplexing problem.
- v. To harness (a horse).
- v. Sports To tackle an opponent in possession of the ball.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A watch-tackle purchase used for stretching the backbone of an awning.
- n. A device or appliance for grasping or clutching an object, connected with means for holding, moving, or manipulating it. This sense is seen in the phrase block and tackle, where the tackle is the rope with its hook or hooks which passes around a pulley; also in ground-tackle, plow-tackle, fishing-tackle, etc.
- n. Hence A mechanism, or apparatus in general, for applying the power of purchase in manipulating, shifting, raising, or lowering objects or materials; a rope and pulley-block, or a combination of ropes and blocks working together, or any similar contrivance for aid in lifting or controlling anything: used either definitely or indefinitely. Tackle is varied in many ways for different uses, as on board a ship, every form or adaptation having its own special name. In a ship's tackle, the standing part is so much of the rope as remains between the sheave and the end which is secured; the running part is the part that works between the sheaves; the fall is the part laid hold of in hauling.
- n. The windlass and its appurtenances, as used for hoisting ore from small depths; also, in general, the cages or kibbles, with their chains and hooks, for raising ore or coal.
- n. Equipment or gear in general; a combination of appliances: used of arms and armor, harness, anglers' outfit (see fishing-tackle), many mechanical devices, etc.
- n. The act of tackling; a seizing or grasping; grasp or hold, as of an opponent in foot-ball.
- n. Either one of two players in the rush-line in foot-ball, stationed next to the end rushers. See rusher, 2.
- n. Tackles formerly used in heaving down a ship, to keep her from being canted over too much.
- n. See rolling-tackle.
- To attach by tackle or tackling; make fast to something.
- Specifically To hitch; harness.
- To ensnare, as with cords or tackle; entangle.
- To close or shut with or as if with a fastening; lock; seclude.
- To furnish with tackle; equip with appliances, as a ship.
- To attack or fasten upon, in the widest sense; set to work upon in any way; undertake to master, persuade, solve, perform, and so forth: as, to tackle a bully; to tackle a problem.
- In foot-ball, to seize and stop, as a player while running with the ball: as, he was tackled when within a few feet of the goal.
- To make an attack or seizure; specifically, to get a grasp or hold, as upon an opponent in foot-ball, to prevent him from running with the ball.
Wiktionary
- n. nautical A system of ropes and blocks used to increase the force applied to the free end of the rope.
- n. fishing, uncountable Equipment (rod, reel, line, lure, etc.) used when angling.
- n. uncountable, informal By extension, any piece of equipment, particularly gadgetry.
- n. sports, countable A play where a player attempts to take control over the ball from an opponent, as in rugby or football.
- n. American football, countable A play where a defender brings the ball carrier to the ground.
- n. countable Any instance in which one person forces another to the ground.
- n. American football, uncountable The offensive positions between each guard and end, offensive tackle.
- n. American football, countable A person playing that position.
- n. American football, uncountable The defensive positions between two ends, defensive tackle.
- n. American football, countable A person playing that position.
- n. slang Penis.
- v. to face or deal with attempting to overcome or fight down
- v. sports to attempt to take away a ball
- v. American football to bring a ball carrier to the ground
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. Apparatus for raising or lowering heavy weights, consisting of a rope and pulley blocks; sometimes, the rope and attachments, as distinct from the block, in which case the full appratus is referred to as a
block and tackle . - n. Any instruments of action; an apparatus by which an object is moved or operated; gear; ; formerly, specifically, weapons.
- n. (Naut.) The rigging and apparatus of a ship; also, any purchase where more than one block is used.
- n. (Football) An act of tackling{4}.
- n. (Football) One of two linemen on a football team, occupying a position between the guard and an end; also, the position played by such a tackle.
- v. To supply with tackle.
- v. colloq. To fasten or attach, as with a tackle; to harness.
- v. To seize; to lay hold of; to grapple
- v. (Football) To cause the ball carrier to fall to the ground, thus ending the forward motion of the ball and the play.
- v. To begin to deal with.
WordNet 3.0
- n. the person who plays that position on a football team
- n. (American football) a position on the line of scrimmage
- n. (American football) grasping an opposing player with the intention of stopping by throwing to the ground
- v. put a harness
- v. seize and throw down an opponent player, who usually carries the ball
- n. gear used in fishing
- v. accept as a challenge
- n. gear consisting of ropes etc. supporting a ship's masts and sails
Etymologies
- From Middle English takel ("gear, apparatus"), from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German takel ("ship's rigging"), perhaps related to Middle Dutch taken ("to grasp, seize"). Akin to Danish takkel ("tackle"), Swedish tackel ("tackle"). More at take. (Wiktionary)
- Middle English takel, from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German; perhaps akin to Middle Dutch taken, to seize, grasp. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Without evidence that lead fishing tackle is posing a threat to loon populations, a proposed ban in Washington State is completely unwarranted!”
“There's no substitute for attitude and it doesn't matter what defensive system you work from, at the end of the day the tackle is king.”
The Guardian: Sale and Newcastle struggle but Australia claims are bugging the IRB
“The right tackle is more of a run-blocking mauler.”
Keepers of the blind side: Left tackles the new money position
“The right tackle is more of a run blocker in most schemes.”
Keepers of the blind side: Left tackles the new money position
“SPRING OBJECTIVES: The most pressing issue between now and September is the offensive line, which has just two returning players with significant experience in tackle Riley Reiff and guard Julian Vandervelde.”
“While tackle is a big concern on the defensive line, end isn't.”
“Even if you do make contact with the ball, you may still be committing an infraction if your tackle is deemed reckless or dangerous.”
“Buying tackle from a fly shop can be a bit spendy so try looking around for poles and such, but by your flies from the fly shop, they will last a lot longer than any you buy at a sporting goods store.”
I plan on starting to fly fish. What are the basic lures, and extra stuff you need for fly fishing?
“Their starting right tackle is a rookie seventh-round pick out of West Texas A&M, J'Marcus Webb.”
The Washington Post: Redskins' mission: Get to Bears' Jay Cutler
“Junior Jarel Lowery, a former defensive tackle, is moving to the offensive line.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘tackle’.
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bbc uk china vocab.
conservationists, estimate, threats, infertility, eating away at, endangered, furry, panel, in trouble, gongs, triumphed, caps and 1007 more...
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fight
words for fighting
( open list, randomness )bout, fight, match, smackdown, blue, stoush, battle, clash, fuss, fray, ruckus, tussle and 115 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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IMCO - EU nomenclature
includes words of the "Prodcom list"
veal, valve, used, yak, wax, wan, teak, vat, vas, strip, use, strap and 4515 more...
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multiple meaning words
These words seem very familiar but are awfully-versatile and oftentimes serve senses exceptionally beyond people's presumptions ...
sense, serve, please, say, profile, draw, weather, bear, project, ship, profiler, tune and 140 more...
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GRE
predilection, explicit, appeal, supplication, appealing, enchanting, ovation, pertinent, apropos, opportunely, applicable, germane and 381 more...
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GCI
spinster, maiden, happy-go-lucky, homonym, ill-at-ease, saw red, out of sorts, hot under the collar, taken aback, pen-names, alias, shoelaces and 378 more...
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Autantonyms
Words with mutually exclusive double meanings. Also, here are some:
QUASI-AUTANTONYMS: slow up/slow down; bar/debar; bone/debone; burn up/burn down; fat chance/slim chance; fill in/fil...clip, cleave, sanction, handicap, fast, jibe, secrete, aloha, bimonthly, bolt, cheerio, commencement and 139 more...
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eggplantia5's Words
scintillate, marvel, cranberry, oscillate, triumph, bamboozle, grimace, magical, book, hexagon, cipher, compendium and 2727 more...
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Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
contemplate, container, consumer, consultant, consensus, conscious, conscience, connection, confusion, confront, conflict, confident and 4334 more...
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my dictionary
able, abnormally, abroad, absent, abstract, acceptable, acceptance, access, accessible, accession, according to, account and 4551 more...
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Words of the Day
glabella, chirotony, nook-shotten, crapehanger, filemot, swirlie, egosurf, lexiphanicism, Ruritanian, stichometry, chrononaut, faldstool and 2008 more...
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whaling terms
Terms defined in the glossary of Clifford W. Ashley's "Yankee Whaler".
advance, adze, after house, after oar, agent, air up, alow, ambergris, apeak, article, away, bailer and 299 more...
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Tack
Sharp as in tack
tackle, attack, tack, gear, zigzag, taque, tick-tack, tick-tack-toe, ticktacktoe, hardtack, tacky, ticky-tacky and 7 more...
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New Words
smarmy, purge, linger, shimmer, fiercely, frantically, shove, grunt, errand, clench, wriggle, squeeze and 168 more...
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South Yorkshire medical terminology
For definitions see the source document.
"All the words and phrases included in this guide are those that have been used by patients during consultations and have been included to assi...winkle, wind pipe, willy, widgy, well, it's a nogg..., wee-wee, water, uncle sam, tuppence, tummy ache, trotters, tootsies and 123 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for tackle.

dario = to deal with Apr 27, 2010
oroboros Contronymic in the sense: delay vs. expedite, get started. Jan 27, 2007