Emily Dickinson Lexicon

TARE, n.² [Fr. id.; It. and Sp. tara; D. tarra; It. tarare, to abate; Dan. tærer, to waste, Sw. tära, D. teeren, G. zehren.]

In commerce, deficiency in the weight or quantity of goods by reason of the weight of the cask, bag or other thing containing the commodity, and which is weighed with it; hence, the allowance or abatement of a certain weight or quantity from the weight or quantity of a commodity sold in a cask, chest, bag or the like, which the seller makes to the buyer on account of the weight of such cask, chest or bag; or the abatement may be on the price of the commodity sold. When the tare is deducted, the remainder is called the net or neat weight.