Chiefly Sc. and north. Eng. Forms: 4–6 tak, 5–6 takk (pl. tax), 6–8 tacke, 6– tack. [f. tac, tak, TAKE v.; cf. TAKE sb.; also ON. tak taking, seizure, etc., taka a taking, seizure, capture, revenue, tenure (Vigf.), OSw. tak taking, hold, taka man collector.]
I. † 1. A customary payment levied by a ruler, feudal superior, or corporation. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 28438. Toll and tak, and rent o syse, Withalden i haue wit couettise.
1564. Reg. Privy Council Scot., I. 295. To mak and deliver to the saidis Margaret and Alexander infeftmentis of the saidis landis … likwyise … in all pointis without takkis.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 322. He dressit the said bischope … for certaine teindis and tax that the bischope gaif him.
2. Tenure or tenancy, of land, benefice, etc.; esp. leasehold tenure, e.g., of a farm, mill, or the like; the period of tenure. Sc. and north. Eng. (Cf. ON. taka tenure [of land].)
1423. Charters, etc., of Edinb. (1871), 55. To have thair corne grundin at the saide millis … durand the saide tak.
1424. Coldstream Chartul. (1879), 43. Ye said priores and ye conuent sal enter in ye tak of ye said land at Qwitsonday.
1449. Sc. Acts Jas. II. (1814), II. 35. Suppos the lordis sel or analy þai landis þt þe takaris sall remayne with þare takis, on to þe ische of þare termes.
1526. Lanc. Wills (Chetham Soc.), I. 15. I will that Dorothe my wyff shall have all such takks leysses and graunts as I now have by the graunts of the Abbot of Challey.
1571. Plowden, Reports, 169 b. Cesty qe prist lease pur ans dun ferme en le Northe paiz, appelle ceo Tacke.
1671. in Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot. (1892), XXVI. 194. We … Stewart Principall Justiciare and Admirall of Orknay and Zetland, having power be vertue of my tack therof to nominat and appoynt bailyies [etc.].
1701. J. Law, Counc. Trade (1751), 40. That the present farm or tack of the customs be broken, and that the said impositions of foreign excise and entry-money may never hereafter be leased out, or let to farm.
1885. J. G. Bertram, in Brit. Alm. Comp., 77. The ‘tack’ [of a deer forest] may be for a period of years, or it may be for ‘the season.’
1887. S. Chesh. Gloss., s.v., ‘It’s the best tack as ever I seid,’… i. e. the farm in question was taken on the best conditions.
b. Sometimes more or less concretely: A leasehold tenement, a farm. Sc.
c. 1470. Henryson, Mor. Fab., XII. (Wolf & Lamb), xviii. How durst thow tak on hand … To put him fra his tak, and gar him thig?
1508. Kennedie, Flyting w. Dunbar, 365. Thow has a tome purs, I haue stedis and takkis.
15[?]. Dunbar, Poems, xvii. 21. Sum takis vthir menis takkis.
1575. in Fam. Rose Kilravock (Spalding Club), 185. Aucht oxin to plenys ane tak.
c. fig. A period, a spell (of some condition). Sc. Cf. ‘lease’ of life, etc.
a. 1758. Ramsay, Masque, 189. Thou’lt grant them a lang tack of bliss.
1821. Galt, Ann. Parish, xii. There came on a sudden frost, after a tack of wet weather.
1887. Service, Dr. Duguid, xxi. 138. We had a lang tack of very wat weather.
3. transf. An agreement or compact. Sc.
(Cf. prec. 11 d.)
a. 1758. Ramsay, Clout the Caldron, iv. I’ve a tinkler under tack, That’s us’d to clout my caldron.
1786. Burns, Earnest Cry & Prayer, vi. In gath’rin’ votes you were na slack; Now stand as tightly by your tack.
4. Pasture for cattle let on hire. dial.
1804–12. Duncumb, Hist. Heref., I. 214. A tack, grass or clover for horses and cattle, hired by the week, month, or quarter.
1863. Morton, Cycl. Agric., Tack, hired pasturage.
1873. Berrow’s Worcester Jrnl., April (E.D.D.). Horses or horned cattle will be taken into Westwood Park to tack or ley.
1877. Birmingham Weekly Post, 22 Dec., 1/1. It is … a common expression where a farmer turns his cattle out on the lands of another to say they are out at ‘tack.’
1879–81. Miss Jackson, Shropsh Word-bk., s.v., ‘Yo’n got a power o’ stock fur yore farm.’… ‘Aye, I mus’ get some out on tack.’
II. 5. A take of fish; a catch, draught, haul: = TAKE sb. 5. Also fig. Sc. and north. Eng.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 40. Gif in ony place quhair a tak of herring is … ony scheding of manis blude aryse … thay ar said to abhor frome that place.
1597. Skene, De Verb. Sign., s.v. Assisa, An thousand herring of ilk tack that halds.
1678. W. Adams, Dedham Pulpit, 68. Whence a great tack of souls to Christ hath followed.
1772. Hartford Merc., Suppl., 18 Sept., 3/2. There is at present the finest tack of herrings ever known, which are now selling on the shore at sixteen-pence the hundred.
1888. Van Hare, Fifty Years Showman’s Life, 2. When they draw their net it’s called a tack; if there are plenty of fish in the net they call it a good tack, or if there are very few fish they call it a bad tack.
III. 6. attrib. and Comb., as tack-duty, the rent reserved on a lease; the rent paid by a tacksman or farmer of the customs; tack-money, payment for pannage or pasture; † tack-swine, hogs paid in rent; tack-work: see quot.
1680. (Dec. 23) St. Andrew’s Town Council Minute-bk., 86. Impouring him quarterliE to receave from the taxsmen of Costomes the *tak deutie payable for the saidis Costomes.
a. 1722. Fountainhall, Decis. (1759), I. 8. Had he not paid the tack-duty for tiends and all.
1809. Tomlins, Jacob’s Law Dict., Tack-Duty, the rent reserved on a lease.
1876. Grant, Burgh Sch. Scotl., II. xiv. 457. In 1680 the council of St. Andrews allocated the tack duties of the customs of the city towards paying the schoolmaster’s stipend.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 75/1. An Agistor, is an Officer of the Forest, that takes in to Feed the Cattel of Strangers, and receives for the Kings use all such *Tack-Money as becomes due from those Strangers.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., viii. 8. Where as the tenauntes pay *tacke swyne by custome,… or a halfpeny for euery swyne, as the custome is vsed.
1879–81. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., *Tack-work, work done by contract.
