Tait

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small tuft or lock of wool, hair or flax, especially in Scottish usage
2. A little bunch or wisp of wool, hair or flax, a term found in Scots dialect
3. Chiefly Scots for a small tuft or lock of fibrous material such as wool or flax

Etymology: A tait is a small tuft or lock of wool, hair, or flax, and the word belongs to Scots dialect, where it is still used for a little bunch of fibre, such as the fluff caught on a sheep's fleece or a stray lock of hair. Its exact ancestry is hard to pin down. It is most likely related to the older English "tate," a word for a small lock or tuft of wool or hair, which probably came into English from Scandinavian sources. Because the Scots form and the English form look so alike, the two are generally treated as close relatives rather than as separate inventions.