also: だれ
noun
dipping sauce; tare sauce
Commonly a soy-sauce-based or mirin-based dipping sauce; often written in katakana. Used in compounds like 焼き鳥のタレ.
焼き鳥に甘辛いタレを付けて食べる。
I eat yakitori with a sweet and salty tare sauce.
noun
Only with reading たれ
Refers to something hanging down, such as a flap or lappet; reading is たれ. Often used in compound words.
着物の垂れが美しい。
The hanging flap of the kimono is beautiful.
noun
loin guard (kendo)
Only with reading たれ
Martial arts term; the protective gear covering the lower body in kendo.
剣道の防具で、垂れは腰から下を守る。
In kendo armor, the tare protects the area below the waist.
noun
kanji radical enclosing top-left corner
Only with reading たれ
Refers to the radical shape that covers the top and left side of a character, e.g., 广, 尸, 户. Reading is たれ.
「広」の部首は「まだれ」と呼ばれる垂れの一種だ。
The radical of 広 is a type of tare called madare.
noun
Only with reading たれ / タレ
Slang used in comedian circles; often written in katakana. Can be derogatory depending on context.
あの芸人はいつもタレの話で笑いを取る。
That comedian always gets laughs with stories about women.
noun, used as a suffix
-ass; -head (derogatory suffix)
Only with reading たれ / タレ
Derogatory suffix attached to nouns or na-adjectives; also appears as ったれ. Used to insult or belittle someone.
あのバカタレがまた失敗した。
That dumbass messed up again.
Kanji spelling for the hanging-related senses; less common for sauce.
Rendaku reading variant; rarely used independently.
Abbreviated kanji form used mainly for the radical name.
Derived from the verb 垂れる (to hang down). The sauce sense comes from the idea of a liquid dripping or being poured. The slang and suffix uses are later developments.