---
title: tat — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «tat» in the school dictionary: Tat is cheap, tasteless or useless things, like junk sold at a fair: «The shop sells tourist tat». Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tat/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/) / [school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/) / [T](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/) / tat

# tat

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Tat, shop, Tit, they, Dad, souvenir shop · **What happens:** be, sell, mean, pay back, do, tat · **To what, where:** junk, fair, tourist tat, someone, same way, you · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«tat» in the school dictionary: its 4 meanings for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [tat in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tat.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: UK, informal — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Tat is cheap, tasteless or useless things, like junk sold at a fair: «The shop sells tourist tat».

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tat:m1:1
# text = Tat is cheap, tasteless or useless things, like junk sold at a fair: «The shop sells tourist tat».
1	Tat	tat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	cheap	cheap	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	tasteless	tasteless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	useless	useless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	_
8	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	like	like	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	junk	junk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	appos	_	_
12	sold	sell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	acl	_	_
13	at	at	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	fair	fair	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	20	punct	_	_
17	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	20	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	shop	shop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nsubj	_	_
20	sells	sell	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
21	tourist	tourist	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	amod	_	_
22	tat	tat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	20	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Tat |  |  |  |  | tasteless things *obl*; cheap *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **sell** | participle |  | junk *not said here* |  | a fair |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP PP.asset»: agent=Agent at fair=Asset |
| 3 | **sell** *in a quote* | present | the shop | tourist tat |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tat=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Tit for tat means paying someone back in the same way for something bad they did to you.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tat:m2:1
# text = Tit for tat means paying someone back in the same way for something bad they did to you.
1	Tit	tit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	for	for	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	tat	tat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	paying	pay	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	xcomp	_	_
6	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obj	_	_
7	back	back	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
12	for	for	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obl	_	_
14	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
15	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
16	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	13	acl:relcl	_	_
17	to	to	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	16	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Tit for tat |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **pay back** *not said to happen* | gerund | Tit for tat *not said here* | someone |  | the same way |  | for something | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent someone=Asset for something=Theme |
| 3 | **do** | past | they |  | you |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: slang — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Tat is short for tattoo.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tat:m3:1
# text = Tat is short for tattoo.
1	Tat	tat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	short	short	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	tattoo	tattoo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Tat |  |  |  |  | for tattoo; short *property* | tree rules |

## Meaning 4 {#m4}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: crafts — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To tat is to make lace by tatting, using a small shuttle and thread.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tat:m4:1
# text = To tat is to make lace by tatting, using a small shuttle and thread.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	tat	tat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	csubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	lace	lace	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
7	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	tatting	tat	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
10	using	use	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	conj	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	shuttle	shuttle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	thread	thread	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tat** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | make *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **tat** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **use** | gerund |  | a small shuttle and thread |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent shuttle=Patient |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dad said the souvenir shop was full of tat.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tat:x1:1
# text = Dad said the souvenir shop was full of tat.
1	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	souvenir	souvenir	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	shop	shop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	ccomp	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	tat	tat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | Dad |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | past | the souvenir shop |  |  |  |  | of tat; full *property* | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Don't waste your pocket money on plastic tat.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tat:x2:1
# text = Don't waste your pocket money on plastic tat.
1	Do	do	AUX	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	waste	waste	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
5	pocket	pocket	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	money	money	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	plastic	plastic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	tat	tat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **waste** | imperative · do-support | you *not said here* | your pocket money |  |  |  | on plastic tat *goal* | vn consume-66-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent money=Asset on tat=Goal |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It turned into a tit-for-tat argument about who pushed first.

<!-- fold The tree, 12 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tat:x3:1
# text = It turned into a tit-for-tat argument about who pushed first.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	turned	turn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	into	into	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
5	tit	tit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	tat	tat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	argument	argument	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
11	about	about	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
12	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
13	pushed	push	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	advcl	_	_
14	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	13	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | past | It | a tat argument |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V ADJ.result»: agent=Theme argument=Result |
| 2 | **push** | past | a tat argument |  |  |  |  | first *property* | vn push-12-1-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
My uncle has a dragon tat on his arm.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tat:x4:1
# text = My uncle has a dragon tat on his arm.
1	My	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	uncle	uncle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	dragon	dragon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	tat	tat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	arm	arm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | My uncle | a dragon tat |  | uncle's arm |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tat=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The jumble sale had some treasures among the tat.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tat:x5:1
# text = The jumble sale had some treasures among the tat.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	jumble	jumble	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	sale	sale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	6	det	_	_
6	treasures	treasure	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
7	among	among	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	tat	tat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | the jumble sale | some treasures |  |  |  | among the tat | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent treasure=Patient |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Grandma taught me to tat lace with a shuttle.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tat:x6:1
# text = Grandma taught me to tat lace with a shuttle.
1	Grandma	grandma	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	taught	teach	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	iobj	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	tat	tat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
6	lace	lace	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	shuttle	shuttle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **teach** *speech: other* | past | Grandma |  | me |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent i=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 2 | **tat** | to-infinitive | Grandma *not said here* | lace |  |  |  | with a shuttle | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [tasty](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tasty/)
- next →: [tatar](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tatar/)
- ↑ back to [T in school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/)