tackle

To tackle is to take something or someone on or to stop someone from moving forward with a ball in a sporting game.

(verb)

An example of tackle is when you dive headfirst into a problem.
An example of tackle is when you knock-off the quarterback so he can't move the ball forward.

To tackle is to take something or someone on or to stop someone from moving forward with a ball in a sporting game.

(noun)

An example of tackle is a collection of fishing hooks.

See tackle in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

apparatus; equipment; gear: fishing tackle
a rope and pulley block, or a system of ropes and pulleys, used to lower, raise, or move various objects
the act or an instance of tackling, as in football
☆ Football
in full tackle football
1. an offensive lineman who is primarily a blocker, usually positioned just outside an offensive guard
2. a defensive lineman usually positioned near the offensive center
3. a type of football in which the defensive players tackle the ballcarrier
Naut.
1. Archaic a ship's rigging
2. later, the running rigging and pulleys to operate the sails

Origin: ME takel < MDu, pulley, rope, equipment in general, prob. akin to MLowG tacken, to touch, press, ? akin to take

transitive verb tackled, tackling

to fasten by means of tackle
to harness (a horse)
to take hold of; seize
1. to undertake to do or solve (something difficult): to tackle a job
2. to deal with (a difficult person)
Football to stop (an opponent carrying the ball), esp. by knocking or throwing to the ground
to knock or throw to the ground: a policeman tackled the fleeing robber

intransitive verb

Football to stop an opponent who is carrying the ball, esp. by knocking or throwing the opponent to the ground
to knock or throw someone to the ground

Related Forms:

See tackle in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

The equipment used in a particular activity, especially in fishing; gear.
a. often (tāˈkəl) Nautical A system of ropes and blocks for raising and lowering weights of rigging and pulleys for applying tension.
b. A rope and its pulley.
Sports
a. The act of stopping an opposing player carrying the ball, especially by forcing the opponent to the ground, as in football or Rugby.
b. The act of obstructing a player in order to cause loss of possession of the ball, as in soccer.
Football
a. One of two offensive linemen positioned between the guard and the end on either side of the ball.
b. One of two defensive linemen positioned to the inside of either end.
c. Either of these positions.

verb tack·led, tack·ling, tack·les

verb, transitive

To grab hold of and wrestle with (an opponent).
Sports
a. To stop (an opponent carrying the ball), especially by forcing the opponent to the ground.
b. To obstruct (a player with the ball) in order to cause loss of possession of the ball.
To engage or deal with: tackle a perplexing problem.
To harness (a horse).

verb, intransitive
Sports

To tackle an opponent in possession of the ball.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English takel

Origin: , from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German

Origin: ; perhaps akin to Middle Dutch taken, to seize, grasp

Related Forms: