tiller

¹ American  

[til-er] / ˈtɪl ər /

noun

1. a person who tills; farmer.

2. a person or thing that tills; cultivator.

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tiller ² American  

[til-er] / ˈtɪl ər /

noun

Nautical.

1. a bar or lever fitted to the head of a rudder, for turning the rudder in steering.

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tiller ³ American  

[til-er] / ˈtɪl ər /

noun

1. a plant shoot that springs from the root or bottom of the original stalk.

2. a sapling.

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verb (used without object)

1. (of a plant) to put forth new shoots from the root or around the bottom of the original stalk.

tiller ¹ British  

/ ˈtɪlə /

noun

1. a shoot that arises from the base of the stem in grasses

2. a less common name for sapling

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verb

1. (intr) (of a plant) to produce tillers

tiller ² British  

/ ˈtɪlə /

noun

1. nautical a handle fixed to the top of a rudderpost to serve as a lever in steering it

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Other Word Forms

• tillerless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tiller¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tiller(e), tiliere; see origin at till ², -er ¹

Origin of tiller²

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English teler, telor, tiler(e) “the stock of a crossbow or firearm; tiller (for a boat),” from Old French telier, teiler “weaver's beam,” from Medieval Latin tēlārium, equivalent to Latin tēl(a) “cloth being woven on a loom; loom; plan, design” + -ārium -ary

Origin of tiller³

First recorded before 1000; Old English telgor, tealgor “twig, shoot,” (not recorded in Middle English ); akin to Old English telga “branch, bough,” Old Norse tjalga “twig, branch,” Dutch telg

Explanation

The tiller is what steers a boat — specifically, the handle attached to the rudder. Tillers are generally found on smaller boats because it would take too much force to steer larger ships with hand tillers. If you have never been on a sailboat before, it may take you a few minutes to figure out how to move the tiller to smoothly steer the boat because you might move the tiller in the opposite direction that you want the boat to go. If you want the bow of the boat to go starboard (right), for example, you need to move the tiller to the port side (left) and vice versa. Rapid back and forth movement on the tiller helps create drag and slows the boat.

Example Sentences

In particular, the rear-axle steering—standard equipment on the Turbo S—puts a huge tiller in the water, giving the Turbo S an easy, trust-building precision as the cornering loads build.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

"In face of setbacks, it requires a steady hand on the tiller and the vision to see the bigger picture", says Dr Barber, saying that knee-jerk responses to failures could "cause damage and delay".

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2025

It would have worked if supply and demand were holding the tiller.

From Salon • May 28, 2024

While elections provide an opportunity for voters to fine-tune, or even overhaul government, there is also value in institutional knowledge and keeping a steady hand on the tiller during times of great upheaval.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 6, 2023

Dad, sitting in a chair and holding a walking stick as if it were a tiller, would bark out orders while maneuvering his imaginary craft around a tricky harbor.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Related Words

• grower
• laborer
• peasant
• producer
• rancher