tide

1 of 3

noun

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
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 adjective

tide

2 of 3

verb (1)

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

tide

3 of 3

verb (2)

tided; tiding

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Williams’ 92-yard pick six turned the tide in the first half when the Seahawks were trailing by two touchdowns, and his two sacks of quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the Jets’ final drive were among the biggest plays in Seattle’s third consecutive victory. Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 2 Dec. 2024 By creating a splashy, distinct campaign that feels intrinsic to their mission, Glide ensures their message doesn’t get lost in the tide of appeals flooding inboxes on Giving Tuesday. Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Verb
In 2023, the states were able to overcome differences with a short-term conservation agreement to tide the region over until 2026. Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 24 Nov. 2024 To help tide Shogun fans over, The Hollywood Reporter asked the Tokyo International Film Festival’s artistic director Shozo Ichiyama to select 10 of his favorite samurai movies from across film history. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tide 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Verb (2)

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4c

Verb (1)

1593, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tide was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tide

Cite this Entry

“Tide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tide. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

tide

1 of 2 noun
1
: the alternate rising and falling of the surface of the ocean that occurs twice a day and is caused by the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon occurring unequally on different parts of the earth
2
: the flow of the incoming or outgoing tide
3
: something that rises and falls like the tides of the sea

tide

2 of 2 verb
tided; tiding
: to enable to overcome or put up with a difficulty
money to tide us over

Medical Definition

tide

noun
: 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 secretionE. J. Jacobson & Gerhard Fuchs

More from Merriam-Webster on tide

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