tide
noun
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Definition of tide
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a(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
2a : 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
4a : 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
tide
verb (1)Definition of tide (Entry 2 of 3)
: to flow as or in a tide : surge
: to cause to float with or as if with the tide
tide
verb (2)Definition of tide (Entry 3 of 3)
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Other words from tide
Noun
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adjective
Synonyms for tide
Synonyms: Noun
current, direction, drift, leaning, run, tendency, trend, wind
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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 other news, Gov. Tom Wolf has announced plans to combat the teacher shortage in Pennsylvania, pumping $2 million into college residency programs in hopes to stem the tide. — Oona Goodin-smith, Philly.com, "Families of Cosmo DiNardo murder victims speak out, Pa. to pay $2M to fight teacher shortage | Morning Newsletter," 13 July 2018 Studies built on the foundation of this one could ultimately pave the way for valuable wildebeest conservationist efforts, stemming the tide of habitat destruction and hunting by humans. — Ryan P. Smith, Smithsonian, "How Noisy Males Control the Gnu’s Cycle," 11 July 2018 Four junior high girls want to continue working with the Naperville Park District to stem the tide of algae blooms in local ponds and rivers. — Suzanne Baker, Naperville Sun, "Naperville girls have the poop on best pond-friendly lawn fertilizer," 3 July 2018 In order to bring home the school’s sixth title overall, Central had to first stem the tide of a strong start by Oregon. — Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Seniors lead a charge that nets the Lancers a second straight WIAA title," 16 June 2018 Johnson spoke at a gathering of the nation’s big-city police chiefs in Washington on Thursday, exchanging ideas on what works and what needs to change to stem the tide of shootings in urban America. — Tom Jackman, Washington Post, "Police chiefs plot new strategies against gun violence and mass shootings," 8 June 2018 That announcement did little to stem the tide, however, and the open letter would prove to be the first of three letters signed by high-ranking industry figures that called for change at the Recording Academy. — Dan Rys, Billboard, "Recording Academy Chief Neil Portnow to Step Down Next Year," 31 May 2018 Trump can’t stem the tide of new, non-white immigrants without Congress’s help. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trumpism Is Having Its Best Week Ever," 10 May 2018 Then in 2015 the Texas Legislature authorized $800 million for 250 Department of Public Safety troopers to help stem the tide of immigrant families at the border. — Aaron Nelsen, San Antonio Express-News, "After arrest of Valley organizer, immigrant community retreats to the shadows," 23 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
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 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for tide
tide
noun
English Language Learners Definition of tide
: 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
See the full definition for tide in the English Language Learners Dictionary
tide
noun
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Kids Definition of tide
(Entry 1 of 2)
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.
tide
verbKids Definition of tide (Entry 2 of 2)
: to help to overcome or put up with a difficulty A snack will tide me over until dinner.
tide
noun
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Medical Definition of tide
: 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 secretion —E. J. Jacobson & Gerhard Fuchs
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