tine
Americannoun
noun
-
a slender prong, esp of a fork
-
any of the sharp terminal branches of a deer's antler
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of tine
before 900; late Middle English tyne, Middle English tind, Old English; cognate with Old High German zint, Old Norse tindr
Explanation
A tine is a prong, or a point. When you were little, you may have lined up your peas on the tines of your fork despite your parents telling you not to play with your food. The tines of a fork are what make it possible to spear pieces of food with it. Other objects with similarly sharp points can also be described as having tines — like a pitchfork or the antler of a deer. The pointed end on a dental tool is also called a tine. The origins of the word tine can be traced back to the Old English tind, which means "sharp point," and is related to the German word Zinne, or "pinnacle."
Vocabulary lists containing tine
The Tower of Nero
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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
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Gone to the Woods
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This has led to repeated influxes of wounded patients arriving at Tine hospital in Chad.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
Tine, the former independent UN expert, said the "collapse of the Malian state" would have "catastrophic consequences" throughout the region.
From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025
“He was carrying tools, that’s why he went totally unnoticed,” said Tine Nehler, a museum spokeswoman.
From New York Times • Apr. 10, 2024
"He's never been a minister and wasn't a statesman so critics question his lack of experience," analyst Alioune Tine tells the BBC.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2024
Just before his death, Willem opened his eyes to tell Tine, “It is well—it is very well—with Kik.”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
