tide

noun \ ˈtīd \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Definition of tide

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

b : flood tide 1

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

play \ˈtīd-ləs\ adjective

See tide defined for English-language learners

See tide defined for kids

Examples of tide in a Sentence

a chart of the tides
The boat got swept away in the tide.

Recent Examples of tide from the Web

The tide turns The war of words was short-lived in part due to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

— katherine nails, Philly.com, "U.S.-North Korea relations: Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un to have summit in Singapore," 11 June 2018
In several of those states, the tide has turned against such rules, with Massachusetts poised to become the eighth to repeal its cap.

— bob salsberg, The Seattle Times, "States rethink rules that cap welfare to children," 28 May 2018
That's where these volunteers believe the tide can turn.

— mallory simon, CNN, "She can't vote, but she wants every other young Latino who can at the polls," 21 May 2018
Premiered in Moscow in January 1945, at a point when the tide of World War II had clearly turned in the Red Army’s favor, the music captures the anticipatory thrill of the Allied victory just around the corner.

— jeremy eichler, BostonGlobe.com, "At BSO, Prokofiev’s Fifth and Brahms at his most lyric," 27 Apr. 2018
Yamamoto's death was yet another blow to the Japanese after the tide of the Pacific war turned with the American victory at Midway and the taking of Guadalcanal.

— CBS News, "WWII research team marks death of Pearl Harbor mastermind," 16 Apr. 2018
The tide of America’s drug overdose and opioid crisis isn’t turning; in fact, the epidemic seems to be getting worse, according a detailed new report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

— sy mukherjee, Fortune, "Why Drug Overdoses Are on the Rise and Getting Worse in America," 29 Mar. 2018
As the industry slowly changes and American media gets more diverse, Khan and Chowdhry are part of a rising tide of creators determined to expand our understanding of who deserves to be in an American story — and who gets to tell it.

— teresa mathew, refinery29.com, "Unfair & Ugly: An American Family Sitcom About South Asian Muslims," 31 May 2018
The biologist was most enchanted by rockweed’s double life—how its identity changed with the tides.

— ben goldfarb, Smithsonian, "How Seaweed Connects Us All," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tide.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tide

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 4c

See Words from the same year

tide Synonyms

Synonyms

current, direction, drift, leaning, run, tendency, trend, wind;

custom, habit, propensity, tenor, way;

countercurrent, countertrend;

undercurrent, undertow;

Other Oceanography Terms

littoral, sound

tide

verb

Definition of tide

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

Recent Examples of tide from the Web

The first two books, scheduled for this fall, will hopefully tide fans over until Season 3 of the series returns.

— mary cadden, USA TODAY, "'Stranger Things' prequel in the works," 11 June 2018
To tide you over till the weekend, here are the official wedding photos from the HGTV host and his new wife's big day.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "Property Brother Drew Scott and Linda Phan's Wedding Photos are Finally Here," 31 May 2018
And so something like a little filler in the trough, plus the upper lids, will tide them over another five years or so, and then after a face-lift, for instance, tweaks can be made with fillers to just enhance the overall look.

— carolyne zinko, San Francisco Chronicle, "How to look your absolute best at any age? We asked the experts.," 15 May 2018
In a pinch, Nvidia’s GeForce Now game-streaming beta for PCs could tide you over in the interim.

— brad chacos, PCWorld, "You can actually afford Nvidia GeForce graphics cards now," 9 May 2018
And to tide us over as Droughtlander rages on, Starz released three new images from Season 4 to celebrate today's big news.

— julie kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Outlander Season 4 Will Premiere in November," 9 May 2018
So, royal watchers: These pictures will have to tide you over for now.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "See the First Official Portraits of Prince Louis," 5 May 2018
Some folks have generators and photovoltaic electric systems to tide us over should the power go out.

— Sunset, "Eruptions and Evacuations Continue on Hawaii’s Big Island," 22 Jan. 2018
This often excludes potentially valuable clients: immigrants anxious to build a good reputation in their new homeland; students with bright career prospects; hardworking, trustworthy individuals needing cash to tide them over a difficult patch.

— The Economist, "The bottom rungFinancial inclusion in the rich world," 3 May 2018

First Known Use of tide

1593

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

tide

verb

Definition of tide

tided; tiding

intransitive verb

archaic

: betide, befall

Origin and Etymology of tide

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

TIDE Defined for English Language Learners

tide

noun

Definition of tide for English Language Learners

: the regular upward and downward movement of the level of the ocean that is caused by the pull of the Sun and the Moon on the Earth
: the flow of the ocean's water as the tide rises or falls
: the way in which something is changing or developing

TIDE Defined for Kids

tide

noun \ ˈtīd \

Definition of tide for Students

1 : the rising and falling of the surface of the ocean caused twice daily by the attraction of the sun and the moon

2 : something that rises and falls or rushes in a mass

The tide of public opinion often changes.

History for tide

The English word tide at first meant “time” or “a space of time.” Later the word was used for the space of time between the rising and falling of the sea's surface. Then tide came to mean “the rising and falling of the sea.” This is the most common meaning of the word today.