a member of any of the various tribes, chiefly Mongolian and Turkish, who, originally under the leadership of Genghis Khan, overran Asia and much of eastern Europe in the Middle Ages.
a member of the descendants of this people variously intermingled with other peoples and tribes, now inhabiting parts of the European and W and central Asian Russian Federation.
Tatar (defs. 1–3).
(often l.c.) a savage, intractable person.
(often l.c.) an ill-tempered person.
to deal with someone or something that proves unexpectedly troublesome or powerful.
—adj.
of or pertaining to a Tartar or Tartars; Tartarian.