tile

1 of 2

noun

ˈtī(-ə)l 

often attributive

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

see also:

on the tiles

tile

2 of 2

verb

tiled; tiling

transitive verb

1

: to cover with tiles

2

: to install drainage tile in

tiler noun

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

Renovators often find out-of-plumb walls, out-of-level floors, and framing that’s either in poor shape or isn’t fit to support tile, drywall, and other modern kitchen materials. — Kamron Sanders, The Spruce, 18 July 2026

The hotel itself is a work of art, blending materials like marble, terracotta, and tile. — Kasey Busiel, Vogue, 17 July 2026

Verb

Wood floor lamps, black-and-white bathroom tile, and vintage touches such as Victrola Bluetooth speakers and Magic Chef mini fridges complete the atmosphere while offering all of today’s conveniences. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2026

In the bathrooms, the shower basin tiling from Heritage Tile and designed by Landed Interiors is inspired by traditional quilting patterns. — Genevieve Walker, Architectural Digest, 11 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English tigele, from Latin tegula tile; akin to Latin tegere to cover — more at thatch

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tile

• aisle
• bile
• chyle
• file
• guile
• heil
• isle
• kyle
• mile
• pile
• rile
• smile

Kids Definition

tile

1 of 2 noun

ˈtī(ə)l 

1

plural tiles or tile

a

: a flat or curved piece (as of fired clay, stone, or concrete) used especially for roofs or floors

b

: a pipe of earthenware used for a drain

2

: a thin piece of material (as linoleum or rubber) for covering floors or walls

tile

2 of 2 verb

tiled; tiling

: to cover with tiles