tidal

[ tahyd-l ]

/ ˈtaɪd l /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tidal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of, pertaining to, characterized by, or subject to tides: a tidal current.

dependent on the state of the tide as to time of departure: a tidal steamer.

Nearby words

ticky-tacky, tico, ticonderoga, tictac, tictoc, tidal, tidal air, tidal basin, tidal benchmark, tidal bore, tidal bulge

Origin of tidal

First recorded in 1800–10; tide¹ + -al¹

Related formstid·al·ly, adverbnon·tid·al, adjectiveun·tid·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tidal

In "Pamela 1" Louie wades deeper into the gender pool, doubtlessly inviting a tidal wave of backlash.
Louie Attempts Rape (and Explores the ‘Nice Guy’ Phenomenon)|Amy Zimmerman|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tempest, hurricane, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, or Big Bang?
How Marine Le Pen and France’s Ultra-Right Won the Day|Tracy McNicoll|May 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the public indignation that was slow to rise at first is now coming on like a tidal wave.
A Hashtag May Help Rescue Jihadi-Enslaved Nigerian Schoolgirls|Nina Strochlic|May 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the primaries, Jeb Bush just might be drowned in a tidal wave of tea.
Why the GOP Needs a Return to the Bush Leagues|Robert Shrum|April 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But this tidal wave of systematic brutality has resulted in only 30 convictions.
War’s Silent Scourge: Sexual Violence Against Women|Peter Westmacott, Melanne Verveer|November 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Birds were concentrated in the areas of mangrove swamp and on the tidal flats.
The Avifauna of Micronesia, Volume 3|Rollin H. Baker
I had missed the tidal train, and I represented that this had caused me some inconvenience.
Recollections|David Christie Murray
The greater part of the tidal flats are barren, while the remainder are far from fertile.
A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of Massachusetts|Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
Except a tidal wave from Japan, nothing would seem to be able to affect or disturb it.
Our Italy|Charles Dudley Warner
He had left London, on the previous morning, by the tidal train, for Dover.
The Moonstone|Wilkie Collins

British Dictionary definitions for tidal

tidal

/ (ˈtaɪdəl) /

adjective

relating to, characterized by, or affected by tidesa tidal estuary

dependent on the state of the tidea tidal ferry

(of a glacier) reaching the sea and discharging floes or icebergs

Derived Formstidally, adverb

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 tidal

tidal

adj.

1807, a hybrid formation from tide (n.) + Latin-derived suffix -al (1). A tidal wave (1830) is properly high water caused by movements of the tides; erroneous use for "tsunami, great ocean wave caused by an earthquake, etc." is recorded from 1878.