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definitions

riptide

[ rip-tahyd ]
/ ˈrɪpˌtaɪd /
|

noun

a tide that opposes another or other tides, causing a violent disturbance in the sea.

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Nearby words

  1. riprap,
  2. riproaring,
  3. ripsaw,
  4. ripsnorter,
  5. ripstop nylon,
  6. ripuarian,
  7. riroriro,
  8. risc,
  9. rise,
  10. rise above

Origin of riptide

First recorded in 1860–65; rip2 + tide1
SYNONYMS FOR riptide
See undertow.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for rip-tide

riptide

/ (ˈrɪpˌtaɪd) /

noun

Also called: rip, tide-rip a stretch of turbulent water in the sea, caused by the meeting of currents or abrupt changes in depth
Also called: rip current a strong current, esp one flowing outwards from the shore, causing disturbance on the surface
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for rip-tide

rip-tide

n.

also riptide, 1862, from rip (n.1) + tide (n.). It is a current not a tide, and the attempt to correct it to rip current dates from 1936.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper