Forms: see sb. [f. prec. So Da. takle, Sw. tackla to tackle, to rig a ship.]
[In the following, a MS. variant of tagild: see TAGLE v.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, Cant. 512. Þaire affecciouns ere ay takild with sum luf þat draghis þaim fra godis luf.]
† 1. trans. To furnish (a ship) with tackle; to equip with the necessary furnishings. Obs.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 12313. To gyffe … Tho shippes to shilde o þe shyre whaghes,… And tyrn hom to takle, & trusse for the sea.
1486. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 74. The same Ship so takled & aparailled was deliuered … to Rauf Astry.
1530. Palsgr., 752/1. My shyppe is takylled and talowed, and redy to hoyse up the sayle.
1550. Nicolls, Thucyd., 5. Althoughe the shyppe be … well garnished and tacled with sayle and ballast.
1653. F. G., trans. De Scudery’s Artamenes, etc. (1655), IV. VII. II. 99. At the same time, they trimmed and tackled up a great company of Ships.
1686. J. Dunton, Lett. fr. New-Eng. (1867), 26. He is a pitch’d Piece of Reason, calckt and tackl’t, and only studied to dispute with Tempests.
† b. To handle or work the tackle of a ship.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, III. ii. 119. The noyis wpsprang of mony marynair Besy at thair werk, to takilling euery tow Thair feris exhorting.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 41. Quhen the schip vas taiklit, the master cryit, boy to the top.
1579–80. North, Plutarch (1676), 7. Scirus … gave to Theseus … another marriner to tackle the sails, who was called Phœas.
a. 1642. Sir W. Monson, Naval Tracts, II. (1704), 253/2. There are so few Sailors to tackle their Ships, that they will be taken upon the Stays.
† c. intr. To tack, or sail across the wind. Obs.
1632. Lithgow, Trav. (1906), 288. Seven weekes crossed with Northerly Windes, ever Tackling and boarding, from the Affricke Coast, to the Carminian shoare.
1669. in Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., I. ii. 20. In this unease Of Tackling Boards, we so the way make short.
† 2. To raise or hoist with tackle. Obs. rare.
1711. W. Sutherland, Shipbuild. Assist., 6. A Portland … Stone, may be wrought to its exact Shape before it be tackled up on St. Paul’s Church.
3. To harness (a horse) for riding or draught. Also absol. with up.
1714. S. Sewall, Diary, 5 April (1879), II. 432. Our Horses were forced to leap into the Sea. By that time had tackled them [it] was duskish.
1770. Mrs. E. Smith, in Lett. Jas. Murray (1901), 130. Wednesday her coach and chaise was tackled for us to take an airing and see all the curiositys of Kelso.
1787. ‘G. Gambado,’ Acad. Horsem. (1809), 7. How to chuse a horse, how to tackle him properly, in what sort of dress to ride him, how to mount and manage him.
1826. P. Pounden, France & It., 7. Five untrimmed little horses, tackled to with ropes.
1869. Mrs. Stowe, Old Town Folk, xx. I shall jest tackle up and go over and bring them children home agin.
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer (1891), 93. I’ll get a spare saddle and bridle, and will tackle him.
4. colloq. a. To grip, lay hold of, take in hand, deal with; to fasten upon, attack, encounter (a person or animal) physically.
1828. Webster, s.v., A wrestler tackles his antagonist; a dog tackles the game. This is a common popular use of the word in New England, though not elegant.
18[?]. Dial. Northampton, The dog tackled the sheep in the field and almost killed one.
1872. Besant & Rice, Ready-Money Mort., vii. Smith’s a big man; but I think I can tackle him.
1887. Jessopp, Arcady, ii. 58. The people seem to have been afraid to tackle them [otters].
b. To ‘come to grips with,’ to enter into a discussion or argument with; to attack; to approach or question on some subject.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, i. That John Willet was in amazing force to-night, and fit to tackle a Chief Justice.
1858. Masson, Milton (1859), I. iv. 168. The Respondent having stated and expounded his theses, was then tackled by a series of Opponents.
1887. R. Buchanan, Heir of Linne, iii. I’ll tackle the laird myself.
1901. Scotsman, 13 March, 12/2. He too was tackled on the question, but when he explained it … he found the electors … reasonable.
c. To grapple with, to try to deal with (a task, a difficulty, etc.); to try to solve (a problem).
1847. E. FitzGerald, Lett. (1889), I. 171. There was no difficulty at all in coming to the subject at once, and tackling it.
1871. L. Stephen, Playgr. Eur., iv. II. 320. Learn … how most effectually to tackle any little difficulty that occurs.
1897. D. Hay Fleming, in Bookman, Jan., 118/1. Has any previous writer ever tackled a work of such difficulty and magnitude among similar surroundings?
d. To attack, fall upon, begin to eat (food).
1889. J. K. Jerome, Three Men in Boat, xii. We tackled the cold beef for lunch.
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer (1891), 132. A strong man gets over it in a day or two, and tackles his bread and meat, and his work, pretty much as usual.
e. intr. To set to; to grapple with something.
1842. S. Lover Handy Andy, xxx. The old woman … tackled to for a fight in right earnest.
1867. Trollope, Chron. Barset, I. xxxii. 273. We’ll tackle to? Very well; so be it.
1867. Country Wds., No. 17. 262. Tackle to’t reet while yo’re yung.
Mod. dial. (E.D.D.). Ah tackled wi’ t’ badger.
5. Football. (a) In Rugby, To seize and stop (an opponent) when in possession of the ball; (b) In Association, To obstruct (an opponent) with the object of getting the ball away from him. Also absol.
1884. Daily News, 23 Dec., 5/5. He … tackled well, kicked judiciously, and as captain of the team gave every satisfaction.
1891. Lock to Lock Times, 24 Oct., 13/1. (Association) He now plays half-back, and is exceedingly useful in that position, tackling and kicking in great style.
1897. Sportsman, 16 Dec. He was tackled close to his own quarter line.
1899. Badm. Libr., Football, 121. (Assoc.) Practically the best general rule is for the half-back to tackle the man with the ball, and the back to be near up ready to intercept a pass.
1901. Scotsman, 11 March, 4/8. Those who questioned his ability to tackle … must have got a surprise when they saw the manner he dealt with his opponent.
† 6. (?) To enclose or fortify. Obs. rare–1.
Perh. some error, or a different word.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett., I. VI. lviii. The moralist tells us that a quadrat solid wise man should involve and tackle himself within his own vertue, and slight all accidents that are incident to man, and be still the same.
