Forms: 6–8 tariffa, 7 terrif, 8 terif, 8–9 tarif, 7– tariff. [a. It. tariffa ‘arithmetike or casting of accounts’ (Florio), ‘a book of rates for duties’ (Baretti), = Sp., Pg. tarifa, ad. Arab. tasrīf notification, explanation, definition, article, f. sarafa in 5th conj. to notify, make known. So F. tarif.
The word came into general use as a technical term (sense 2), and this character it long retained in English use, being hardly found, except as applied to the Customs ‘tariff’; its more general application (sense 3), found earlier on the Continent and in U. S., has become more common in Great Britain only since c. 1890.]
† 1. An arithmetical table or statement; a table of multiplication, a ready reckoner, or the like.
1591. Garrard’s Art Warre, 224. So that helping your memorie with certain Tablei or Tariffas made of purpose to know the numbers of the souldiers that are to enter into ranke.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Tarif (in Arithmetick) is either a small Table … to expedite Multiplication; or else a Proportional Table contrived for the expediting a Question in the Rule of Fellowship.
1726. Colson, in Phil. Trans., XXXIV. 170. Reduce the Dividend and Divisor to small Figures, and form a Tariffa or Table of all the Multiples of the Divisor as far as 5.
1727. Bailey, vol. II., Tariff (with Arithmeticians) a proportional Table contrived for the speedy resolving Questions in the Rule of Fellowship;… Also a Table framed to shew … any Multiple or Divisor, taken any Number of Times under ten.
1770. Monthly Rev., 507. That a tariff or table may be established of these proportions.
2. An official list or schedule setting forth the several customs duties to be imposed on imports and exports; a table or book of rates; any item of such a list, the impost (on any article); also the whole body or system of such duties as established in any country.
1592. Wotton, Lett., to Ld. Zouche, 3 Oct. (1907), I. 288. The book that I put to be copied for your Honour is not yet ended, nor the tariffa of all the towns in the Grand Duke’s territories, in my hands.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Tariff, a Book of Rates or Customs.
1713. Treaty Utrecht, in Magens, Insurances (1755), II. 495. The general Tariff made in France the 18th Day of September in the Year 1664, shall take place again.
1716. Addison, Free-holder, No. 42, 14 May, ¶ 12. This Branch of our Trade was regulated by a Tariff, or Declaration of the Duties of Import and Export in the Year 1670.
1725. Lond. Gaz., No. 6414/2. The putting … into Execution the new Tarif or Book of Rates.
1816. (Feb. 12) Sec. Dallas, in Ann. Congress (1854), 1674. A statement of the general principles for reforming the tariff of the United States.
1845. M’Culloch, Taxation, II. v. (1852), 238. The duties in this tariff mostly vary from 40 to 5 per cent. ad valorem.
1868. M. E. G. Duff, Pol. Surv., 25. The kingdom’s wealth might be economized by the adoption of a free-trade tariff.
1879. Rogers, in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 128/2. A tariff … of a highly protective character, in the interest of employers or manufacturers.
3. A classified list or scale of charges made in any private or public business; as, a hotel tariff, a railroad tariff (U.S.).
a. 1751. Bolingbroke, Fragments, xxx. Wks. 1754, V. 246. Even in times less antient, the church of Rome found it necessary to publish a tariff, or book of rates, which I have seen in print, wherein the price is set over against every sin, lest purchasers should be imposed upon.
1837–9. Hallam, Hist. Lit., I. iii. § 147. The university of Paris proceeded to establish a tariff, according to which every edition was to be sold.
1838. Murray’s Hand-bk. N. Germ., 428. Tariff per post of 2 German miles.
1867. Howells, Ital. Journ., 204. Show me the tariff of fares.
1881. Chicago Times, 12 March. The following is the present railroad tariff on flour, grain, and boxed meats from Chicago to the eastern points named.
4. attrib. and Comb.; a. attrib., as tariff-act, -bill, -duty, -legislation, -monger, -movement, -office, -party, -preference, -question, -treaty; b. instrumental, as tariff-born, -bound, -fed, -protected, -raised, -ridden adjs.; c. objective and obj. gen., as tariff-maker; tariff-mongering, -raising, -regulating, -tinkering adjs. See also TARIFF-REFORM.
1816. Ann. Congress (1854), 1137. The provisions of the proposed new tariff duties.
1821. J. Q. Adams, Mem. (1875), V. 309. The revival at the next session of Congress of Mr. Baldwin’s tariff bills. Ibid. (1824), VI. 282. There had been sharp words in the tariff debate this day in the House. Ibid. (1831), (1876), VIII. 438. The Free-Trade and Tariff Conventions.
1832. Pres. Jackson, Message Congr. U.S. A mistaken view of the considerations which led to the adoption of the tariff system.
c. 1843. Gladstone, in Morley, Life (1903), I. II. viii. 267. Endeavouring to make tariff treaties with foreign countries.
1862. Macm. Mag., Sept., 413. Stories about tariff grievances.
1884. S. E. Dawson, Handbk. Dom. Canada, 288. As promoters of private legislation, or as tariff-doctors, or as volunteer advisers, interested or disinterested.
1891. Century Dict., Tariff-ridden, burdened with a tariff or tariffs; carrying an excessive burden of indirect taxation.
1897. Daily News, 21 Sept., 2/3. American tariff-tinkering. Ibid. (1898), 8 Aug., 8/2. A little tariff-card [of a hotel] enclosed showed that the sum stated was liable to some little expansion.
1900. Jrnl. Sch. Geog. (U. S.), April, 147. There have been twenty-five tariff acts prescribing, modifying or regulating tariff duties, the first being the Calhoun Act, 1816.
1904. Daily News, 3 March, 8. A warning against tariff-mongers, tariff-meddlers, and tariff-muddlers of all denominations.
1904. Judge Parker (U. S.) in Daily Chron., 11 Nov., 5/5. To prevent the tariff-fed Trusts and illegal combinations from absorbing the nation’s wealth.
Hence (chiefly nonce-wds.) Tariffable a., that can be subjected to a tariff; Tariffade [after crusade], an agitation in favor of a tariff; Tariffication, (a) the fixing of a tariff; (b) conversion to a pro-tariff party; Tariffism, the principle or system of imposing a tariff, advocacy of a (high or low) tariff; Tariffist, an advocate of a tariff; Tariffite, = prec.; also attrib.; Tariffize v., trans. to subject to a tariff or system of tariffs (in quot. in sense 3); Tariffless a., without a tariff.
1895. Funk’s Stand. Dict., *Tariffable, subjectable to a tariff.
1904. P. Geddes, in Ideals Sci. & Faith, 201. He may prepare to play his patriotic part in the approaching, ever-victorious *Tariffades by which the megalopolitan wealth and imperial greatness are to be assured. Ibid. (1905), in Contemp. Rev., LXXXVII. 425. At this moment does not our astutest party leader appear to be climbing down from his preaching of Tariffades to the more modest rostrum of the University of Birmingham?
1892. 19th Cent., Dec., 940. Sir B. Samuelson’s proposal to make compulsory the method of *tariffication … which has been optional with railway companies for forty years past.
1908. Westm. Gaz., 29 May, 2/3. The complete tariffication of the Unionist Party.
1903. Daily Chron., 25 Sept., 4/5. The chief apostle of high *tariffism.
1901. Westm. Gaz., 3 April, 2/3. Taking the two bodies together the Low *Tariffists are in a majority of one.
1905. Daily Chron., 8 Sept., 4/4. The tariffists and purblind economists see the chief reason of Germany’s industrial prosperity in its protective system. Ibid. (1906), 12 Jan., 5/2. This has excited great indignation on the part of the *Tariffite candidate.
1848. Tait’s Mag., XV. 319. This would *tariffize the world.
1891. Miss Dowie, Girl in Karp., 271. A total stranger condescended to … make a *tariffless hotel of their house.
