till
1[ til ]
/ tɪl /
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preposition
conjunction
to the time that or when; until.
before (used in negative constructions).
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Origin of till
1First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English (north) til “to,” from Old Norse til “to,” akin to Old English till “station, fixed point, standing-place” German Ziel “goal”
words often confused with till
Till1 and until are both old in the language and are interchangeable as both prepositions and conjunctions: It rained till (or until ) nearly midnight. The savannah remained brown and lifeless until (or till ) the rains began. Till is not a shortened form of until and is not spelled 'till. 'Til is usually considered a spelling error, though widely used in advertising: Open 'til ten.
Other definitions for till (2 of 4)
till2
[ til ]
/ tɪl /
verb (used with object)
to labor, as by plowing or harrowing, upon (land) for the raising of crops; cultivate.
to plow.
verb (used without object)
to cultivate the soil.
Origin of till
2First recorded before 900; Middle English tilen, Old English tilian “to strive after, get, till”; cognate with Dutch telen “to breed, cultivate,” German zielen “to aim at”
OTHER WORDS FROM till
mis·tilled, adjectiveun·tilled, adjectiveun·till·ing, adjectivewell-tilled, adjectiveOther definitions for till (3 of 4)
till3
[ til ]
/ tɪl /
noun
a drawer, box, or the like, as in a shop or bank, in which money is kept.
a drawer, tray, or the like, as in a cabinet or chest, for keeping valuables.
an arrangement of drawers or pigeonholes, as on a desk top.
Origin of till
3First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English tylle, noun use of tylle “to draw, attract,” Old English -tyllan (in fortyllan “to seduce”); akin to Latin dolus “trick,” Greek dólos “bait (for fish); any cunning contrivance; treachery”
Other definitions for till (4 of 4)
till4
[ til ]
/ tɪl /
noun
Geology. glacial drift consisting of an unassorted mixture of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders.
a stiff clay.
Origin of till
4First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use till in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for till (1 of 4)
till1
/ (tɪl) /
conjunction, preposition
Also (not standard): 'til short for until
Scot to; towards
dialect in order thatcome here till I tell you
Word Origin for till
Old English til; related to Old Norse til to, Old High German zil goal, aim
usage for till
Till is a variant of until that is acceptable at all levels of language. Until is, however, often preferred at the beginning of a sentence in formal writing: until his behaviour improves, he cannot become a member
British Dictionary definitions for till (2 of 4)
Derived forms of till
tillable, adjectivetiller, nounWord Origin for till
Old English tilian to try, obtain; related to Old Frisian tilia to obtain, Old Saxon tilōn to obtain, Old High German zilōn to hasten towards
British Dictionary definitions for till (3 of 4)
till3
/ (tɪl) /
noun
a box, case, or drawer into which the money taken from customers is put, now usually part of a cash register
Word Origin for till
C15 tylle, of obscure origin
British Dictionary definitions for till (4 of 4)
till4
/ (tɪl) /
noun
an unstratified glacial deposit consisting of rock fragments of various sizes. The most common is boulder clay
Word Origin for till
C17: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for till
till
[ tĭl ]
An unstratified, unconsolidated mass of boulders, pebbles, sand, and mud deposited by the movement or melting of a glacier. The size and shape of the sediments that constitute till vary widely.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with till
till
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.