tannin

tan·nin | \ ˈta-nən

Definition of tannin

1 : any of various soluble astringent complex phenolic substances of plant origin used especially in tanning leather and dyeing textiles, manufacturing ink, clarifying wine and beer, and in medicine

2 : a substance that has a tanning effect

Examples of tannin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web To be versatile, the wines have to be fruity and flavorful, with not too much oak, tannin, or alcohol and enough juicy acidity to cut through richness and perk up your taste buds. — Elin Mccoy, Bloomberg.com, "Toast Your Thanksgiving With a Rosé From Texas or a Vermont Red," 19 Nov. 2020 Some were too high in alcohol or tannin, others were hard to pair with food. — Lettie Teague, WSJ, "How to Discover New Wines Without Paying a Cent," 2 Nov. 2020 Its location combines unlikely cool-climate elegance and savory, earthy character with mountain tannin and graphite-like structure. — SFChronicle.com, "Four wineries for amazing views, Cabernet on Mount Veeder," 13 Oct. 2020 The sweetness is offset by just enough tannin and acidity. — Liquid Assets Michael Agnew, Star Tribune, "2 Minnesota cideries are leading the return to traditional cidermaking," 23 Sep. 2020 High-tannin levels, often matched by a higher ABV, are more typical of aged red wines, such as a Barolo. — Rachel King, Fortune, "Why right now is the time to start aging your wine collection," 4 Oct. 2020 Low sweetness and very high, mouth-drying tannin are the stars. — Liquid Assets Michael Agnew, Star Tribune, "2 Minnesota cideries are leading the return to traditional cidermaking," 23 Sep. 2020 The key to finding the best hard mast stands is to locate an area that has a particularly large number of acorns, especially the sweeter white oaks that have less tannin. — Gerald Almy, Field & Stream, "The 12 Best Early-Season Treestand Locations for Deer Hunting," 17 Sep. 2020 Mourvedre/monastrell Full-bodied and meaty, this wine can share similarities with syrah but with a higher tannin. — Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, "Want to sound like an Arizona wine expert? Here are 10 grape varietals you need to know," 1 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tannin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

3 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Tannin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tannin. Accessed 22 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for tannin

tannin

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tannin

: a reddish acid that comes from plants, is used in making ink and leather, and occurs in various foods and drinks (such as wine)

See the full definition for tannin in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tannin

noun

tan·nin | \ ˈta-nən

Kids Definition of tannin

: a substance often made from oak bark or sumac and used in tanning animal hides, dyeing fabric and yarn, and making ink

tannin

noun

tan·nin | \ ˈtan-ən

Medical Definition of tannin

1 : any of various soluble astringent complex phenolic substances of plant origin used in tanning, dyeing, the making of ink, and in medicine as astringents and formerly in the treatment of burns

2 : a substance that has a tanning effect

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