tau

== Translingual == === Etymology === Abbreviation of English Tanana, upper. === Symbol === tau (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Upper Tanana. === See also === Wiktionary’s coverage of Upper Tanana terms == English == === Etymology === From Middle English tau, taue, from Latin tau, from Ancient Greek ταῦ (taû) and Hebrew תָּו (tav). Sense 6 (“mathematical constant equal to 2π”) was used by Joseph M. Lindenberg in 1991, and popularized by the American educator and entrepreneur Michael Hartl in a 2010 paper which explains that τ resembles π; and that τ is the Greek equivalent of t, the first letter of turn, and 2π corresponds to one turn of a circle with a radius of one unit. Sense 8.1 (“ellipsis of tau lepton or tau particle”) was coined by the American physicist Martin Lewis Perl (1927–2014) after the first letter of Ancient Greek τρίτον (tríton, “third”), since the tau lepton or tauon was the third charged lepton discovered. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /taʊ/, /tɔː/ (General American) IPA(key): /taʊ/, /tɔ/ Rhymes: -aʊ, -ɔː === Noun === tau (plural taus) The letter Τ / τ in the Greek alphabet; being the nineteenth letter of the Classical and Modern Greek, and the twenty-first letter of the Old and Ancient Greek alphabets. Alternative form of taw; the 22nd and last letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, and Arabic. A Τ-shaped object or sign; a Saint Anthony's cross, sometimes regarded as a sacred symbol. (Christianity) A crosier with a Τ-shaped head. The ankh symbol (☥). Synonym: crux ansata (astronomy) Chiefly written τ: used to designate the nineteenth star (usually according to brightness) in a constellation. (finance) A measurement of the sensitivity of the value of an option to changes in the implied volatility of the price of the underlying asset. Synonyms: kappa, vega Hypernym: Greeks (includes a list of coordinate terms) (mathematics, neologism) Chiefly written τ: an irrational and transcendental constant representing the ratio of the circumference of a Euclidean circle to its radius, equal to twice the value of pi (2π; approximately 6.2831853071). (neurology) Ellipsis of tau protein (“a protein abundant especially in the neurons of the human central nervous system that stabilizes microtubules, and when misfolded is associated with forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases”). (particle physics) Chiefly written τ. Ellipsis of tau lepton or tau particle (“an unstable elementary particle which is a type of lepton, having a mass almost twice that of a proton, a negative charge, and a spin of ½; it decays into hadrons (usually pions) or other leptons, and neutrinos; a tauon”). (historical) Ellipsis of tau meson, now known as a kaon. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === (Greek-script letter names) alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi, omicron, pi, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, omega === See also === tau huay === References === === Further reading === tau on Wikipedia.Wikipedia tau cross on Wikipedia.Wikipedia tau (particle) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia tau protein on Wikipedia.Wikipedia turn (angle) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia tau (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Anagrams === AUT, UAT, UTA, Uta, aut-, uta == 'Are'are == === Verb === tau to give === References === Kateřina Naitoro, A Sketch Grammar of 'Are'are: The Sound System and Morpho-Syntax (2013) == Betawi == === Verb === tau to know == Catalan == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈtaw] Rhymes: -aw === Noun === tau f (plural taus) Tau; the Greek letter Τ (lowercase τ) tav; the Hebrew letter ת (religion) a tau cross == Czech == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈtau̯] === Noun === tau n (indeclinable) tau (Greek letter) === Further reading === “tau”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech) “tau”, in Akademický slovník cizích slov at prirucka.ujc.cas.cz [Academic dictionary of foreign words] (in Czech), 1995 == Dutch == === Etymology === From Middle Dutch tau, thau, from Ancient Greek ταῦ (taû). Doublet of taw, tav. === Pronunciation === === Noun === tau n (plural taus, diminutive tautje n) tau (Greek letter) === Further reading === tau (letter) on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia nl == Finnish == === Etymology === Borrowed from Ancient Greek ταῦ (taû). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtɑu̯/, [ˈt̪ɑ̝u̯] Rhymes: -ɑu Syllabification(key): tau Hyphenation(key): tau === Noun === tau tau (Greek letter) tauon, tau (elementary particle) ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “tau”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023 === Anagrams === -tua == French == === Alternative forms === (in the plural) taus (1990 spelling reform) === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /to/ Homophones: taus, taux, tôt === Noun === tau m (plural tau or taus) tau (Greek letter) (particle physics) tau, tauon ==== Derived terms ==== tauique === Further reading === “tau”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 === Anagrams === tua == Galician == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtaw/ [ˈt̪ɑw] Rhymes: -aw Hyphenation: tau === Noun === tau m (plural taus) tau (name of the Greek letter Τ, τ) === References === “tau”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026 == German Low German == === Alternative forms === to (in some dialects) === Etymology === Middle Low German tô. === Preposition === tau (in some dialects) to ==== Derived terms ==== taum taun taur == Hokkien == == Huichol == === Noun === tau sun == Hungarian == === Etymology === From Ancient Greek ταῦ (taû). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈtɒu] Hyphenation: tau Rhymes: -u === Noun === tau (plural tauk) tau (Greek letter) ==== Declension ==== == Iban == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /tauʔ/ === Verb === tau ought, should == Icelandic == === Etymology === Borrowed from Danish tøj. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /tʰøyː/ Rhymes: -øyː === Noun === tau n (genitive singular taus, no plural) fabric clothing ==== Declension ==== == Indonesian == === Pronunciation === (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈtau/ [ˈt̪a.u] Syllabification: ta‧u === Etymology 1 === ==== Verb ==== tau (colloquial) alternative form of tahu (“to know”) === Etymology 2 === Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ταῦ (taû). ==== Noun ==== tau tau (the letter Τ / τ in the Greek alphabet; being the nineteenth letter of the Classical and Modern Greek, and the twenty-first letter of the Old and Ancient Greek alphabets) == Italian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtaw/ Rhymes: -aw Hyphenation: tàu === Noun === tau m or f (invariable) tau (Greek letter) === Anagrams === -uta, tua == Japanese == === Romanization === tau Rōmaji transcription of たう == Kambera == === Verb === tau person === References === Marian Klamer (1998), A Grammar of Kambera, Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 328 == Kapampangan == === Alternative forms === tauo (Spanish orthography, obsolete) tawu (Súlat Wáwâ) === Etymology 1 === From Proto-Philippine *tau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Austronesian *Cau. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈtau/ [ˈtäː.u] Hyphenation: ta‧u ==== Noun ==== táu person; human; man someone; people; human being person left alone in a place as a guard or caretaker (when others are away) Synonyms: bante, tanud boyfriend; girlfriend; lover Synonyms: kapalsintan, kaluguran flame; blaze Synonym: api ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== === Etymology 2 === ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /təˈu/ [təˈuː] Hyphenation: ta‧u ==== Noun ==== taú feast; party; banquet Synonyms: apag, diwang, pamagsaya ===== Derived terms ===== == Kendayan == === Numeral === tau three == Lithuanian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈt̪â̤ˑʊ/ === Pronoun === táu second-person singular dative of tu == Makasar == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtau/, [ˈt̪ʰa.u] Hyphenation: ta‧u === Etymology 1 === From Inherited from Proto-South Sulawesi *tau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Austronesian *Cau. ==== Noun ==== tau (Lontara spelling ᨈᨕᨘ) people, person, man slave, laborer, coolie ===== Derived terms ===== === Etymology 2 === Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taqu, from Proto-Austronesian *Caqu (“to know how, be able to, be skilled at”). ==== Adjective ==== tau (Lontara spelling ᨈᨕᨘ) friendly, amicably, being familiar with someone. tame, domesticated ===== Derived terms ===== ==== Root ==== tau (Lontara spelling ᨈᨕᨘ) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}. ===== Derived terms ===== === Further reading === A. A. Cense (2024), Makassaars-Nederlands woordenboek‎[4], Brill, →DOI == Malay == === Etymology 1 === Inherited from Proto-Malayic *tahu(ʔ), from Proto-Malayo-Chamic, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taqu, from Proto-Austronesian *Caqu. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈtau/ [ˈt̪a.u], /ˈtaw/ [ˈt̪au̯] Rhymes: -u, -au̯ Hyphenation: ta‧u, tau ==== Verb ==== tau (Jawi spelling تاو) (informal) syncopic form of tahu (“to know”) === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from English tau, from Ancient Greek ταῦ (taû). ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈtaw/ [ˈt̪au̯] Rhymes: -au̯ Hyphenation: tau ==== Noun ==== tau (Jawi spelling تاو, plural tau-tau or tau2) the Greek letter tau (Τ or τ) === Further reading === "tau" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017 == Māori == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtau/ [ˈtɐʉ] === Etymology 1 === From Proto-Polynesian *taqu (compare Hawaiian kau), from Proto-Oceanic, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taqun (compare Malay tahun, Tagalog taón). ==== Noun ==== tau year (time it takes for the Earth to complete one revolution of the Sun) year (time it takes for any planetary body to make one revolution around another body) year (a period between set dates that mark a year) year (scheduled part of a calendar year spent in a specific activity) year (Julian year) year (level or grade at school or college) === Etymology 2 === From Proto-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Oceanic, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taʀuq (compare Malay taruh). ==== Verb ==== tau to settle === Etymology 3 === From Proto-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Oceanic, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taqu, from Proto-Austronesian *Caqu (compare Malay tahu). ==== Noun ==== tau (used in the form mātau) knowledge ==== Verb ==== tau (used in the form mātau) (stative) to know === References === “tau” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN. == Minangkabau == === Etymology === From Proto-Malayic *tahu(ʔ), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taqu, from Proto-Austronesian *Caqu. === Verb === tau to know === Further reading === Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*Caqu”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI == Niuean == === Etymology 1 === From Proto-Polynesian *taqu, from Proto-Oceanic, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taqun. ==== Noun ==== tau year === Etymology 2 === From Proto-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Oceanic, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taʀuŋ. ==== Verb ==== tau fight == North Frisian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [tʰaʊ̯] === Etymology 1 === From Old Frisian twā. ==== Numeral ==== tau (Föhr-Amrum, Sylt, Heligoland) two ===== Alternative forms ===== twäär (Mooring) ===== Coordinate terms ===== === Etymology 2 === From Proto-Germanic *þwahaną. ==== Verb ==== tau (Föhr-Amrum) to wash ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Alternative forms ===== taui (Sylt) tüünj (Mooring) == Norwegian Bokmål == === Etymology 1 === From Old Norse tog (rope). ==== Noun ==== tau n (definite singular tauet, indefinite plural tau, definite plural taua or tauene) a rope (physics) tau lepton tau (Greek letter) ===== Synonyms ===== (rope): rep, reip ===== Derived terms ===== ståltau taubane tauverk === Etymology 2 === ==== Verb ==== tau imperative of taue === References === “tau” in The Bokmål Dictionary. == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Etymology 1 === From earlier and Old Norse tog (“rope”), from Proto-Germanic *taugō. ==== Alternative forms ==== tog (superseded) ==== Noun ==== tau n (definite singular tauet, indefinite plural tau, definite plural taua) a rope ===== Synonyms ===== (rope): reip ===== Derived terms ===== ståltau taubane tauverk === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from Ancient Greek ταῦ (taû). ==== Noun ==== tau m (definite singular tauen, indefinite plural tauar, definite plural tauane) tau: The letter Τ/τ in the Greek, Hebrew and ancient Semitic alphabets, being the nineteenth letter of the Classical and Modern Greek, the twenty-first letter of Old and Ancient Greek. (physics) tau lepton === References === “tau” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. === Anagrams === Tau, tua == Occitan == === Etymology === From Latin talis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /taw/ === Adjective === tau m (feminine singular tala, masculine plural taus, feminine plural talas) (Gascony, Provençal, Limousin, Vivaro-alpine, Auvergne) such ==== Alternative forms ==== tal == Polish == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ταῦ (taû), from Phoenician 𐤕 (t /⁠taw⁠/). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtaw/ Rhymes: -aw Syllabification: tau === Noun === tau n (indeclinable) tau (Greek letter Τ, τ) === Further reading === tau in Polish dictionaries at PWN == Portuguese == === Pronunciation === Homophone: tal (Brazil) Rhymes: -aw Hyphenation: tau === Noun === tau m (plural taus) tau (name of the Greek letter Τ, τ) (particle physics) tauon === Further reading === “tau”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “tau”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Sotho == === Noun === tau class 9/10 (plural ditau) lion ==== Descendants ==== → Phuthi: idawû == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtau/ [ˈt̪au̯] Rhymes: -au Syllabification: tau === Noun === tau f (plural taus) tau; the Greek letter Τ, τ tauon (elementary particle) Synonym: tauón === See also === (Greek-script letter names) letra; alfa, beta, gamma, delta, épsilon, dseda, eta, zeta, iota, kappa, lambda, mi, ni, xi, ómicron, pi, ro, sigma, tau, ípsilon, fi, ji, psi, omega leptons: electrón · muon · tau/tauón · neutrino (neutrino electrónico · neutrino muónico · neutrino tauónico) [edit] === Further reading === “tau”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Tagalog == === Pronoun === tau (Baybayin spelling ᜆᜌᜓ) (text messaging) abbreviation of tayo == Tahitian == === Adjective === tau some ==== Synonyms ==== nau ==== References ==== Yves Lemaître, Lexique du tahitien contemporain (Current Tahitian lexicon), 1995. “tau” in Dictionnaire en ligne Tahitien/Français (Online Tahitian–French Dictionary), by the Tahitian Academy. == Tausug == === Etymology === Inherited from Proto-Philippine *tau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Austronesian *Cau. === Pronunciation === (Sinūgan Parianun) IPA(key): /taʔu/ [t̪aˈʔu] Rhymes: -u Syllabification: ta‧u === Noun === tau (Sulat Sūg spelling تَؤُ) person human ==== Derived terms ==== == Ternate == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈta.u] === Verb === tau to pull ==== Conjugation ==== === References === Rika Hayami-Allen (2001), A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh == Tetum == === Etymology === From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taʀuq, compare Māori tau and Indonesian taruh. === Verb === tau to put, to place == Tocharian B == === Etymology === From Middle Chinese 斗 (MC tuwX). === Noun === tau ? sg (irregular plural towä or tom or taum) a dry measure, roughly equivalent to ten quarts or 1.25 pecks === References === == Tokelauan == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈta.u] Hyphenation: ta‧u === Etymology 1 === From Proto-Polynesian *te-qa-u. ==== Determiner ==== tau (alienable, definite) thy, your ===== See also ===== === Etymology 2 === From Proto-Polynesian *taqu. Cognates include Hawaiian kau and Samoan tau. ==== Noun ==== tau season weather climate === Etymology 3 === From Proto-Polynesian *tau. Cognates include Tongan tou and Samoan tau. ==== Verb ==== tau (transitive) to pick ===== Usage notes ===== tau is used to refer to flowers and fruits, with the exception of the coconut and pandanus. === Etymology 4 === From Proto-Polynesian *tau. Cognates include Tongan tau and Samoan tau. ==== Verb ==== tau (intransitive) to fight; to quarrel (intransitive) to compete === Etymology 5 === From Proto-Polynesian *tau. Cognates include Māori tau and Samoan tau. ==== Verb ==== tau (plural tatau) (intransitive) to hit (intransitive) to land (intransitive) to arrive (intransitive) to anchor (intransitive, of fish) to settle down === Etymology 6 === From Proto-Polynesian *tau. Cognates include Tuvaluan tau and Samoan tau. ==== Verb ==== tau (transitive, of months) to count === Etymology 7 === From Proto-Polynesian *tau. Cognates include Rapa tau and Samoan tau. ==== Noun ==== tau The point where the keel meets the stern of the canoe. === Etymology 8 === ==== Noun ==== tau Fresh nest fern leaves, used to cover a traditional oven. === Etymology 9 === ==== Particle ==== tau Used to indicate the exclusiveness of the following noun or pronoun; just, only, merely === Etymology 10 === ==== Particle ==== tau Used to indicate the focus lies on the following noun; concerning, regarding === Etymology 11 === ==== Particle ==== tau Used to indicate that the action of the following verb is beginning; starting to; beginning to === Etymology 12 === ==== Verb ==== tau only used in tau ma (“to be fed up with”) === References === R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎[5], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 342 == Tongan == === Etymology === From Proto-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taʀuŋ. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ta.u/ === Verb === tau fight == Tswana == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /tà.ú/ === Noun === tau class 9/10 (plural ditau) lion == Vietnamese == === Pronunciation === (Vinh) IPA(key): [taw˧˥] (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [taw˧˧] (Huế) IPA(key): [taw˧˧] (Saigon) IPA(key): [ta(ː)w˧˧] === Pronoun === tau North Central Vietnam form of tao (“I/me”) === Anagrams === tua == Welsh == === Pronunciation === (North Wales) IPA(key): /taɨ̯/ (South Wales) IPA(key): /tai̞/ === Verb === tau (literary) third-person singular present indicative/future of tewi === Mutation === == White Hmong == === Etymology === From Proto-Hmong-Mien *təuk, from Old Chinese 得 (OC *tɯːɡ). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /tau̯˧/ === Verb === tau to get, gain, obtain (used preverbally) perfective action marker Kuv tsis tau ua. ― I didn't do that. (used postverbally) potential mood marker Ua tau. ― May be done. === References === Heimbach, Ernest E. (1979), White Hmong — English Dictionary‎[6], SEAP Publications, →ISBN. == Woccon == === Noun === tau fire