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on the wrong tack

on the wrong tack
O o

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [on, awn stressed th ee rawng, rong tak]
    • /ɒn, ɔn stressed ði rɔŋ, rɒŋ tæk/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [on, awn stressed th ee rawng, rong tak]
    • /ɒn, ɔn stressed ði rɔŋ, rɒŋ tæk/

Definitions of on the wrong tack words

  • noun on the wrong tack a short, sharp-pointed nail, usually with a flat, broad head. 1
  • noun on the wrong tack Nautical. a rope for extending the lower forward corner of a course. the lower forward corner of a course or fore-and-aft sail. the heading of a sailing vessel, when sailing close-hauled, with reference to the wind direction. a course run obliquely against the wind. one of the series of straight runs that make up the zigzag course of a ship proceeding to windward. 1
  • noun on the wrong tack a course of action or conduct, especially one differing from some preceding or other course. 1
  • noun on the wrong tack one of the movements of a zigzag course on land. 1
  • noun on the wrong tack a stitch, especially a long stitch used in fastening seams, preparatory to a more thorough sewing. 1
  • noun on the wrong tack a fastening, especially of a temporary kind. 1
See all 20 definitions of on the wrong tack

Information block about the term

Origin of on the wrong tack

First appearance:

before 1300
One of the 15% oldest English words
1300-50; (noun) Middle English tak buckle, clasp, nail (later, tack); cognate with German Zacke prong, Dutch tak twig; (v.) Middle English tacken to attach, derivative of the noun; see tache, attach

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for On the wrong tack

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of On the wrong tack

on the wrong tack popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

on the wrong tack usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

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