[f. mod.L. tartare-us (f. tartarum TARTAR sb.1) + -OUS.]

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  † 1.  Path. Of the nature of a tartar, or calcareous or earthy deposit; characterized by such deposits. (Cf. TARTAROUS 2.) Obs.

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1625.  Hart, Anat. Ur., II. x. 119. From whence do they [Paracelsists] inferre a great number of such tartareous diseases, as they call them? Ibid. Abundance of a tartareous or terrestrious substance.

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1658.  A. Fox, Würtz’ Surg., III. xi. 249. This moisture … doth join with the gluten of the joint, and groweth tartareous.

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1677.  Plot, Oxfordsh., 211. A Tartareous humor got together in the veins under the tongue.

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  † 2.  Like tartar in consistence or formation; of the nature of a concretion or crust; gritty. Obs.

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1669.  W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 131. Every tartareous recrement fastened to the sides of the said vessels.

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1671.  J. Webster, Metallogr., xvi. 238. Mingled with other metals, as lime and tartareous stones, in which black floats and slats do break.

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1677.  Grew, Anat. Seeds, i. § 1. The Tartareous Stone of a Plum.

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1683.  A. Snape, Anat. Horse, V. i. (1686), 195. A Bone is said to be … made of the most earthy and tartareous part of the Seed in the Womb.

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  † 3.  Chem. Having the quality of tartar or argol; containing or derived from tartar; tartareous acid, early name of tartaric acid. (Cf. TARTAROUS.) Obs.

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  † Tartareous acidulum (F. acidule tartareux), an old name of tartar.

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1663.  Boyle, Usef. Exp. Nat. Philos., II. V. xix. 283. Meats that are Salt and Tartareous.

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c. 1790.  trans. De Morveau’s, etc. Table Chem. Nom. (Encycl. Brit., ed. 3 IV. 598 a). Radical principle of the tartareous acid.

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1800.  trans. Lagrange’s Chem., II. 198. When exposed to heat in contact with the air, the tartareous acidulum is decomposed, fuses, swells up.

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1822.  Imison, Sc. & Art, II. 183. The tartareous acid dissolves the oxide of tin.

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  4.  Bot. Of a crust-like structure like tartar: descriptive of certain lichens.

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1845.  Lindley, Sch. Bot., ix. (1858), 155. Thallus thick, granular and tartareous, greyish-white.

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1861.  H. Macmillan, Footn. fr. Page Nat., 75. We have no data from which to ascertain the age of tartareous species, which adhere almost inseparably to stones.

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