tide

[tahyd]

noun

the periodic rise and fall of the waters of the ocean and its inlets, produced by the attraction of the moon and sun, and occurring about every 12 hours.

the inflow, outflow, or current of water at any given place resulting from the waves of tides.

flood tide.

a stream or current.

anything that alternately rises and falls, increases and decreases, etc.: the tide of the seasons.

current, tendency, or drift, as of events or ideas: the tide of international events.

any extreme or critical period or condition: The tide of her illness is at its height.

a season or period in the course of the year, day, etc. (now used chiefly in combination): wintertide; eventide.

Ecclesiastical. a period of time that includes and follows an anniversary, festival, etc.

Archaic. a suitable time or occasion.

Obsolete. an extent of time.

verb (used without object), tid·ed, tid·ing.

to flow as the tide; flow to and fro.

to float or drift with the tide.

verb (used with object), tid·ed, tid·ing.

to carry, as the tide does.

Verb Phrases

tide over,

to assist in getting over a period of difficulty or distress.
to surmount (a difficulty, obstacle, etc.); survive.

Idioms

turn the tide, to reverse the course of events, especially from one extreme to another: The Battle of Saratoga turned the tide of the American Revolution.

Origin of tide

before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English tīd time, hour; cognate with Dutch tijd, German Zeit, Old Norse tīth; akin to time

Related formstide·ful, adjectivetide·less, adjectivetide·less·ness, nountide·like, adjective

tide

[tahyd]

verb (used without object), tid·ed, tid·ing. Archaic.

to happen or befall.

Origin of tide

before 1000; Middle English tiden, Old English tīdan. See betide

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

Related Words for tides

stream, trend, undercurrent, spate, wave, flood, torrent, tendency, drag, rush, run, ebb, course, drift, vortex, sluice, eddy, race, flux, direction

Examples from the Web for tides

Contemporary Examples of tides

But the end of Viagra as we know it signals more than just a change in the tides for Big Pharma.
Laughter Will Be the Legacy of Viagra
Samantha Allen
October 2, 2014
Surely there will be villainous pirates, distracting mermaids, tides change in the new open water chapter of my journey.
Lindsay Mills, Edward Snowden’s Girlfriend, Writes ‘All I Feel Is Alone’
Caroline Linton
June 11, 2013
Underneath the most placid waters, there are vicious currents and tides, and underwater volcanoes that are constantly erupting.
Welcome to the Anarchy Economy
Daniel Gross
April 23, 2013
The tides of the oceans are created by the gravatational pull of the moon.
The Moon Landing Hoax
David Frum
August 26, 2012
The ship now shifts slightly with the rise and fall of the low Mediterranean tides, moving about a millimeter an hour.
Costa Concordia Mess Widens With Salvage Team, Criminal Probe
Barbie Latza Nadeau
January 24, 2012

Historical Examples of tides

At the foot of “The Rapids” the effect of the spring tides is barely perceptible.
The Long Labrador Trail
Dillon Wallace
Into these tides I was now drawn down—and it did me some good and a great deal of harm.
The Harbor
Ernest Poole
All his life he was an observer of the weather, and a student of the winds and tides.
Benjamin Franklin
Paul Elmer More
At low spring tides the most beautiful corals and shells are found.
The Last Voyage
Lady (Annie Allnutt) Brassey
The tides have gradually filled their shallow harbors with silt.
England, Picturesque and Descriptive
Joel Cook

British Dictionary definitions for tides

tide

noun

the cyclic rise and fall of sea level caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon. There are usually two high tides and two low tides in each lunar daySee also tide-generating force, neap tide, spring tide

the current, ebb, or flow of water at a specified place resulting from these changes in levelthe tide is coming in

See ebb (def. 3), flood (def. 3)

a widespread tendency or movementthe tide of resentment against the government

a critical point in time; turning pointthe tide of his fortunes

Northern English dialect a fair or holiday

(in combination) a season or timeChristmastide

rare any body of mobile water, such as a stream

archaic a favourable opportunity

verb

to carry or be carried with or as if with the tide

(intr) to ebb and flow like the tide

Derived Formstideless, adjectivetidelike, adjective

Word Origin for tide

Old English tīd time; related to Old High German zīt, Old Norse tīthr time

tide

verb

(intr) archaic to happen

Word Origin for tide

Old English tīdan; related to Old Frisian tīdia to proceed to, Middle Low German tīden to hurry, Old Norse tītha to desire

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 tides

tide

Old English tid "point or portion of time, due time," from Proto-Germanic *tidiz "division of time" (cf. Old Saxon tid, Dutch tijd, Old High German zit, German Zeit "time"), from PIE *di-ti- "division, division of time," suffixed form of root *da- "to divide, cut up" (cf. Sanskrit dati "cuts, divides;" Greek demos "people, land," perhaps literally "division of society;" daiesthai "to divide;" Old Irish dam "troop, company").

Meaning "rise and fall of the sea" (mid-14c.) is probably via notion of "fixed time," specifically "time of high water;" either a native evolution or from Middle Low German getide (cf. also Dutch tij, German Gezeiten "flood tide"). Old English seems to have had no specific word for this, using flod and ebba to refer to the rise and fall. Old English heahtid "high tide" meant "festival, high day."

tide

"to carry (as the tide does)," 1620s, from tide (n.). Usually with over. Related: Tided; tiding.

tides in Medicine

tide

[tīd]

n.

An alternate increase and decrease, as of levels of a substance in the blood or digestive tract.

tides in Science

tide

[tīd]

The regular rise and fall in the surface level of the Earth's oceans, seas, and bays caused by the gravitational attraction of the Moon and to a lesser extent of the Sun. The maximum high tides (or spring tides) occur when the Moon and Sun are directly aligned with Earth, so that their gravitational pull on Earth's waters is along the same line and is reinforced. The lowest high tides (or neap tides) occur when the Moon and Sun are at right angles to each other, so that their gravitational pull on Earth's waters originates from two different directions and is mitigated. Tides vary greatly by region and are influenced by sea-floor topography, storms, and water currents. See also ebb tide flood tide neap tide spring tide.

tides in Culture

tides

The periodic rise and fall of the ocean level owing to the gravitational force exerted by the moon and sun.

Note

In most parts of the world, two tide cycles occur each day.

Idioms and Phrases with tides

tide

In addition to the idiom beginning with tide

tide over

also see:

stem the tide
swim against the current (tide)
swim with the tide
time and tide
turn of the tide