tile

noun, often attributive

\ ˈtī(-ə)l

Definition of tile

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 plural tiles or tile

a : a flat or curved piece of fired clay, stone, or concrete used especially for roofs, floors, or walls and often for ornamental work

b : a hollow or a semicircular and open earthenware or concrete piece used in constructing a drain

c : a hollow building unit made of fired clay or of shale or gypsum

2 : tiling

3 : a thin piece of resilient material (such as cork, linoleum, or rubber) used especially for covering floors or walls

4 : a thin piece resembling a ceramic tile that usually bears a mark or letter and is used as a playing piece in a board game (such as mah-jongg)

5 : hat especially : a high silk hat

on the tiles

British

: engaged in late-night carousing

tile

verb

tiled; tiling

Definition of tile (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to cover with tiles

2 : to install drainage tile in

Other Words from tile Example Sentences Learn More about tile

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Examples of tile in a Sentence

Noun

We installed new tile in the kitchen.

Verb

We hired him to tile the bathroom floor.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But one material is pushing the whole concept forward: Permeable tile pavers, the next level up in parking design that incorporate a little of each, and so much more. — Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, "The Easy Landscape Design That'll Make Your Driveway 10 Times More Attractive," 19 Apr. 2019 The historic spot, next to the Cirque d’Hiver, has been open since 1902 and features tiles depicting clowns having a gay old time. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "Cartier Celebrates Its Latest Collection With a Lavish Parisian Fete," 19 Apr. 2019 The long-lasting customizable inserts are installed by a professional right over your existing bathtub and tile, so there’s no serious demo required. — The Good Housekeeping Institute, Good Housekeeping, "GH Seal Spotlight: Bath Planet by BCI," 5 Apr. 2019 The tiles throughout the space are particularly striking. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "A Mecca of Spanish Design and Food Opens in New York," 3 Apr. 2019 Inside, the designer and her husband, now 74, restored original details, such as the elaborate 19th-century tiles. — J.s. Marcus, WSJ, "Luxury Homeowners Discover the Delight of Sicily Living," 20 Dec. 2018 If the tile isn't glazed or the liquid has spread to the grout, use CLF Bath & Kitchen Cleaner to remove discoloration. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "How to Get Rid of That Cat Pee Smell on Carpets, Wood, and Upholstery," 17 Dec. 2018 Toward the beginning the camera shows the gardens, a sprinkler churning on the grass, the Mediterranean tiles on the roof glistening. — James Mcauley, Town & Country, "The Tragic, Fascinating History of Santo Sospir," 13 Aug. 2018 To perform both of those functions well, the tiles have to look opaque from street level while remaining transparent to the sun. — Hallie Detrick, Fortune, "Tesla Finally Filed a Patent for Its Solar Roof Tiles. Here's How They Work," 8 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

At the estate’s highest point, with views for miles, our guide Antonio pointed out a patch of ground, leveled and tiled, where overnight guests can come to eat dinner and stargaze. — Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, "Vacation in Portugal the Less-Obvious Way," 10 Aug. 2018 The walls are lined with wooden slats, the floor is tiled with black and white, and seating is limited to a few narrow tables and bar stools. — Annette Tan, Condé Nast Traveler, "16 Best Cafes in Singapore," 4 Mar. 2018 Photo: Vanessa Berberian for The Wall Street Journal More from Mansion The kitchen cabinets and countertops are made from dark wenge hardwood, and its floor is tiled in a herringbone pattern of black bricks. — Ruth Bloomfield, WSJ, "Building a Home Over the Office to Achieve Work-Life Balance," 20 Nov. 2018 The newly tiled, sleek white bathroom has a shower-over-tub. — Julie Lasky, New York Times, "$600,000 Homes in Florida, Connecticut and California," 24 Jan. 2018 Heading east, Pakenham spies a parked van from a tiling company and clicks on his iPhone — the first step in collecting evidence. — Elizabeth Royte, Daily Intelligencer, "George Pakenham is waging a one-man war on air pollution on the Upper West Side.," 10 July 2018 One of the property’s three bathrooms, tiled in marble. — Ruth Bloomfield, WSJ, "How to Live Luxe—and With Light—in a Basement Home," 13 June 2018 German firm Bureau Oberhaeuser has a new concept for Tesla's interface that takes a cue from the world of smart devices and tablets, allowing multiple apps to be tiled at once and moved around at will. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Imagine If Your Tesla's Console Worked Like This," 18 Mar. 2015 On the ceiling the space between the beams is tiled with ceramic vine motifs. — Houston Chronicle, "City pool opens for summer; extensive renovations complete," 26 May 2018

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