tact
LatinVariants
Related Roots
About This Root
From Latin tangere (to touch), past participle tactum. Variants include tang-, tag-, ting-, tig-. The "touch" sense ranges from physical (tactile, contact) to figurative: intact (untouched), contagious (spreading by touch), tangent (a line that touches a curve), and contiguous (touching side by side). Entangle extends the "touch" into getting caught up.
Associated Words
anticontagious
Preventing the spread of contagious disease
bitter-tasting
Having a bitter flavour
contact
To touch; to come into physical contact with; The act of touching physically; being in close association
contact-lens
A thin lens worn directly on the eye
contacts
People one knows who can provide help; contact lenses; to get in touch with
contagion
The spread of disease or ideas by contact
contagious
Easily spread from one person to another
contagium
The agent that transmits a contagious disease
contiguity
The state of being in direct contact or touching; adjacency
contiguous
Sharing a border or touching; adjacent and connected
contingency
An uncertain future event; a provision for unexpected circumstances
contingent
A representative group; possible but dependent on uncertain conditions
detector
A device that senses a specific substance or physical phenomenon
disentangle
To free from entanglement; to unravel or separate
entangle
To tangle together; to involve in complications or difficulties
entangled
Twisted together; caught up in a complicated situation
entanglement
The state of being tangled; a complicated involvement or relationship
eye-contact
The act of looking directly into another person's eyes
good-tasting
Having a pleasant flavor
gravitate
To be naturally drawn or attracted toward something
gravitation
The natural force of attraction between all masses; a tendency to be drawn toward something
gravitational
Relating to or caused by gravity
gravitative
Relating to or caused by gravitation
great-tasting
Having an excellent flavor
intact
Not damaged or altered in any way; complete
intactness
The state of being whole and undamaged
intangibility
The quality of being impossible to touch or clearly define
intangible
Not physically touchable or easily defined; an intangible asset
intangibles
Assets or qualities with value but no physical form
meditator
A person who practices meditation
premeditated
Planned or considered in advance; deliberate
tact
The ability to handle people or situations sensitively without causing offence
tactful
Sensitive and considerate in dealing with others
tactfully
In a sensitive, considerate manner
tactic
A specific action or plan used to achieve a goal
tactical
Relating to tactics; carefully planned to achieve a goal
tactically
In a carefully planned, strategic manner
tactician
A person skilled at planning and executing tactics
tactile
Relating to or perceived by the sense of touch
tactility
The ability to perceive sensations through touch
tactless
Lacking sensitivity or consideration for others' feelings
tactual
Relating to the sense of touch
tag
A label attached to something; to attach a label or mark
tangent
A line touching a curve at one point; a digression from the main topic
tangential
Only indirectly related; relating to a tangent
tangible
Able to be touched; real and concrete
tangibly
In a clear, real, and perceptible way
tangle
To twist into a confused mass; a knotted mass; a complicated situation
tangled
Twisted into a confused mass; complicated
tango
A Latin American ballroom dance; to dance the tango
taste
The sensation of flavor; good judgment in aesthetics; to perceive flavor
tasteful
Showing good taste; elegant and aesthetically pleasing
taster
A person who samples food or drink for quality; a small sample
tasting
The sampling of food or drink to assess quality
tasty
Having a pleasant, delicious flavor
touch
to make physical contact; to affect emotionally; the sense of feeling
touchable
Capable of being touched; tangible
touchdown
A six-point score in American football; the moment an aircraft lands
touched
Emotionally moved; slightly mentally unbalanced
touching
Emotionally moving; regarding or concerning something
touchstone
A standard used to judge or evaluate quality
touchy
Easily offended; (of a situation) sensitive and requiring tact
unpremeditated
Done without prior planning or forethought
untangle
To remove knots; to clarify a complicated situation