tide1

[tahyd] /taɪd/
noun
1.
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.
2.
the inflow, outflow, or current of water at any given place resulting from the waves of tides.
3.
flood tide.
4.
a stream or current.
5.
anything that alternately rises and falls, increases and decreases, etc.:
the tide of the seasons.
6.
current, tendency, or drift, as of events or ideas:
the tide of international events.
7.
any extreme or critical period or condition:
The tide of her illness is at its height.
8.
a season or period in the course of the year, day, etc. (now used chiefly in combination):
wintertide; eventide.
9.
Ecclesiastical. a period of time that includes and follows an anniversary, festival, etc.
10.
Archaic. a suitable time or occasion.
11.
Obsolete. an extent of time.
verb (used without object), tided, tiding.
12.
to flow as the tide; flow to and fro.
13.
to float or drift with the tide.
verb (used with object), tided, tiding.
14.
to carry, as the tide does.
Verb phrases
15.
tide over,
  1. to assist in getting over a period of difficulty or distress.
  2. to surmount (a difficulty, obstacle, etc.); survive.
Idioms
16.
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
before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English tīd time, hour; cognate with Dutch tijd, German Zeit, Old Norse tīth; akin to time
Related forms
tideful, adjective
tideless, adjective
tidelessness, noun
tidelike, adjective

tide2

[tahyd] /taɪd/
verb (used without object), tided, tiding. Archaic.
1.
to happen or befall.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English tiden, Old English tīdan. See betide
Examples from the web for tide
  • Alternating current performed so well at the fair that the technological tide turned.
  • Its flow changes direction every six hours, and at low tide our beach is normally twenty feet longer than it is at high tide.
  • They sit on piles drilled into the riverbed, and at low tide are six feet below the surface.
  • Purple starfish glisten on the rocks waiting for the tide to return.
  • But it is worth remembering that this is a tide that has risen in the past, only to ebb again.
  • Beachcombers leave footprints, usually washed away by the tide.
  • They timed their journeys to use the tides and surface currents and stopped when the tide turned.
  • It shows clouds streaming across the sky, star-spangled heavens and the oscillations of the tide.
  • To stem this tide of rapid turnover, colleges must create incentives for fund raisers to stay in one place longer.
  • Ultimately, the only way to turn the tide against piracy would be to offer pirates and their families a better way of life.
British Dictionary definitions for tide

tide1

/taɪd/
noun
1.
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 day See also tide-generating force, neap tide, spring tide
2.
the current, ebb, or flow of water at a specified place resulting from these changes in level: the tide is coming in
3.
See ebb (sense 3), flood (sense 3)
4.
a widespread tendency or movement: the tide of resentment against the government
5.
a critical point in time; turning point: the tide of his fortunes
6.
(Northern English, dialect) a fair or holiday
7.
(in combination) a season or time: Christmastide
8.
(rare) any body of mobile water, such as a stream
9.
(archaic) a favourable opportunity
verb
10.
to carry or be carried with or as if with the tide
11.
(intransitive) to ebb and flow like the tide
Derived Forms
tideless, adjective
tidelike, adjective
Word Origin
Old English tīd time; related to Old High German zīt, Old Norse tīthr time

tide2

/taɪd/
verb
1.
(intransitive) (archaic) to happen
Word Origin
Old English tīdan; related to Old Frisian tīdia to proceed to, Middle Low German tīden to hurry, Old Norse tītha to desire
Word Origin and History for tide
n.

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."

v.

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

tide in Medicine

tide (tīd)
n.
An alternate increase and decrease, as of levels of a substance in the blood or digestive tract.

tide 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.

Idioms and Phrases with tide

tide

In addition to the idiom beginning with
tide
also see: