tine

1 of 2

noun

ˈtīn 

1

: a slender pointed projecting part : prong

2

: a pointed branch of an antler

tined

ˈtīnd 

adjective

tine

2 of 2

verb

tined ˈtīnd  or tint ˈtint  ; tining ˈtī-niŋ 

transitive verb

dialectal British : lose

intransitive verb

dialectal British : to become lost

Examples of tine in a Sentence

Noun

One of the fork's tines was bent.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Each set comes with three tools—a trowel, a tine fork, and a weeder. —Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026

And presuming this is a classic dishwasher silverware basket situation, those tines just aren’t going to get consistently clean when bunched up at the bottom. —John Hodgman, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026

Francis’ patent drawing has a complete spoon bowl with tines appearing out the front. —James Stout, Outside, 29 Mar. 2026

Dock the bottom of the crust, piercing it a few times with the tines of a fork. —Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tind, from Old English; akin to Old High German zint point, tine

Verb

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse tȳna to lose, destroy, tjōn injury, loss — more at teen entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for tine

• brine
• cline
• dine
• fein
• fine
• gwine
• hine
• jain
• klein
• kline
• line
• mine

Kids Definition

tine

noun

ˈtīn

: a slender pointed part : prong

the tines of a fork