▪ I. tait
Sc. variant of tate.
▪ II. † tait, a. ME. and Sc. Obs.
Also 4 teyte, tayt.
[a. ON. teitr glad, cheerful, corresp. to a doubtful OE. tǽtan to gladden, cheer, from an adj. *tát, and in form to OHG., MHG. zeiz tender, dear, pleasing.]
Cheerful, lively, active, nimble.
| c 1300 Havelok 1841 Þe laddes were kaske and teyte. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 871, I schal biteche yow þo two þat tayt arn & quoynt. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1377 Techez hym to þe tayles of ful tayt bestes. c 1470 Henryson Mor. Fab. vii. (Lion & Mouse) xiii, Sua come ane trip of myis out of thair nest, Richt tait and trig. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xiv. 49 Ouir all the gait sa mony thevis sa tait. 1513 Douglas æneis xii. Prol. 184 Litill lammis Full tait and trig socht bletand to thar dammis. |
▪ III. tait, n. Austral.
(teɪt)
[Aboriginal name.]
= honey possum s.v. honey n. (a.) 7.
| 1894 R. Lydekker Hand-bk. Marsupialia 121 Known to the natives by the name of Tait, and Nulbenger, the Long-snouted Phalanger..is generally found..from Swan River to King George's Sound. 1941 E. Troughton Furred Animals Austral. 81 The quaint little animal had quite a variety of names in the native vocabularies.., the one favoured as a popular name being ‘Noolbenger’, and others including ‘Ait’ [sic] and ‘Deed’. |