a tax levied on the difference between a commodity's price before taxes and its cost of production
"The new vat made it impossible for farmers to compete since their profits were being slashed by the massive gap between what they paid for seeds and the low prices buyers offered."
A large tub, such as is used for making wine or for tanning.
"The accountant reminded everyone that the new VAT rate would increase starting next month."
Initialism of value added tax.
In plain English: A vat is a very large container used for holding liquids or soft materials.
"The factory workers poured the white liquid into the huge vat to start the next batch of cheese."
Usage: A vat refers to an open container with vertical sides and no lid, typically made of wood, metal, or plastic, that holds liquids like dye or chemicals during industrial processing. Unlike a tank which may be sealed, vats are often used where the contents need frequent stirring or access for manual work.
To put into a vat.
"The workers carefully poured the unripe bananas into the large fermentation vat to begin the aging process."
In plain English: To vat something means to put it into a large container for processing, though this usage is very rare and mostly found in old texts about making cheese or beer.
"The old factory workers used to vat silk in large copper tanks before dyeing it."
The word "vat" comes from the Old English fæt, which originally meant a vessel or cask. It traces its roots back to Proto-Indo-European pod-, sharing ancestry with similar words for barrels and dishes in many Germanic languages.