tit for tat
bowler hatBowler hats – a type of “tit for tat” – on sale at the w:Portobello RoadPortobello Road Market in London, England, UK
Meaning
Noun
- Equivalent retribution; an act of returning exactly what one gets; an eye for an eye.
- A hat.
Related
Similar words
- eye for an eye
- a Roland for an Oliver
- ball and bat
- titfer
Origin
- From tit. Compare earlier tip for tap, from tip + tap; compare also dialectal tint for tant. Origin uncertain; conjectured to be ultimately from Dutch dit voor dat ("this for that") or French tant pour tant ("equal for equal"). The vowel sequence follows a typical ablaut reduplication pattern.
- Tit for tat is a rhyme for hat.
Modern English dictionary
Explore and search massive catalog of over 900,000 word meanings.
Word of the Day
Get a curated memorable word every day.
Challenge yourself
Level up your vocabulary by setting personal goals.
And much more
Try out Vedaist now.