tide

1 of 3

noun

1
a(1)
: the alternate rising and falling of the surface of the ocean and of water bodies (such as gulfs and bays) connected with the ocean that occurs usually twice a day and is the result of differing gravitational forces exerted at different parts of the earth by another body (such as the moon or sun)
(2)
: a less marked rising and falling of an inland body of water
(3)
: a periodic movement in the earth's crust caused by the same forces that produce ocean tides
(4)
: a periodic distortion on one celestial body caused by the gravitational attraction of another
(5)
: one of the periodic movements of the atmosphere resembling those of the ocean and produced by gravitation or diurnal temperature changes
2
a
: something that fluctuates like the tides of the sea
the tide of public opinion
b
: a large and increasing quantity or volume
a tide of opportunists
a swelling tide of criticism
3
a
: a flowing stream : current
b
: the waters of the ocean
c
: the overflow of a flooding stream
4
a
: a fit or opportune time : opportunity
b
: an ecclesiastical anniversary or festival
also : its season
usually used in combination
Eastertide
c
obsolete : a space of time : period
tideless adjective

tide

2 of 3

verb (1)

tided; tiding

intransitive verb

: to flow as or in a tide : surge

transitive verb

: to cause to float with or as if with the tide

tide

3 of 3

verb (2)

tided; tiding

Examples of tide in a Sentence

Noun a chart of the tides The boat got swept away in the tide.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In foreign reportage, a stark narrative was already set: An Oriental anachronism was being swept away by the tide of history. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Sephora isn’t alone in the rising tide that is increasing sales of beauty products. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Mar. 2024 These are wind, bio-energy (made from biomass, a form of organic matter), waves, the tides, and geothermal sources. Nicholas Wyman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Bioluminescent tides, which appear to glow blue at night, are the result of a phytoplankton bloom, Sea Grant California said. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2024 The push and pull was inspired by the moon moving the tides. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 24 Feb. 2024 Environmental reports on sea rise and king tides taught residents which neighborhoods would flood, and when. Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 The tide is turning, and opportunities are within reach. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024 The 27-minute film, about the rising tide of book banning efforts around the United States, marks docu titan Sheila Nevins‘ directorial debut. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
When the chick hatches, to tide it over until the time the female returns with food, the male feeds the chick crop milk. Popsci Staff, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024 Looking for a new read to tide you over until your next vacation? David Nikel, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Discover what causes king tides and explore the tidal zone on this walk and talk. John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024 To tide us over until then, here's a look back at some of his best movie and TV roles. Ew Staff, EW.com, 8 Nov. 2023 In recent weeks, the region’s coast has seen powerful waves, flooding, and abnormally high king tides. Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2024 The tasty, soft-shell crab bao buns will tide you over nicely. Ann Marie McQueen, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Nov. 2023 That would tide Ukraine over in the short term but cast a shadow over Europe’s long-term ambitions as a reliable geopolitical player. Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2023 Sure, Dune: Part Two could’ve already been in theaters by now in an alternate universe where striking actors got a fair contract right off the bat — but, hey, at least there’s now a third trailer to tide us over until the second half of the sci-fi epic arrives next year. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, time, from Old English tīd; akin to Old High German zīt time and perhaps to Greek daiesthai to divide

Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English tīdan; akin to Middle Dutch tiden to go, come, Old English tīd time

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4c

Verb (1)

1593, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tide was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tide

Cite this Entry

“Tide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tide. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tide

1 of 2 noun
1
: the alternate rising and falling of the surface of the ocean that occurs twice a day and is caused by the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon occurring unequally on different parts of the earth
2
: the flow of the incoming or outgoing tide
3
: something that rises and falls like the tides of the sea

tide

2 of 2 verb
tided; tiding
: to enable to overcome or put up with a difficulty
money to tide us over

Medical Definition

tide

noun
: a temporary increase or decrease in a specified substance or quality in the body or one of its systems
a postprandial alkaline tide, the typical rise in urinary pH associated with gastric acid secretionE. J. Jacobson & Gerhard Fuchs

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