Etymology Inherited from Middle English tyde, from Old English tīd, from Proto-West Germanic *tīdi, from Proto-Germanic *tīdiz, from Proto-Indo-European *déh₂itis, from *deh₂y- + *-tis. Related to time. Cognate with Dutch tijd (“time”), German Zeit (“time”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish tid (“time”), Faroese and Icelandic tíð (“time”).
The daily fluctuation in the level of the sea caused by the gravitational influence of the moon and the sun.
The Bristol Channel has some of the world's largest tides.
2
The associated flow of water.
A lot of driftwood was brought in on the tide.
3
Any similar gravitational effect on Earth or other body.
As well as sea tides, there are much smaller land tides.
By far the largest tides on Europa are those caused by the gravitational attraction of Jupiter.
4
A high-volume flow, literal or figurative; a current or flood.
The sewer burst, and a tide of sewage poured into nearby properties.
A tide of people crossed over the border.
2 more examples
We've encountered a tide of problems.
Go I charge thee, inuite them all, let in the tide / Of Knaues once more: my Cook and Ile provide.c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv], page 88, column 1:
5
Figuratively The tendency or direction of causes, influences, or events; course; current.
The tide of public opinion has turned.
There is a tide in the affairs of men, / Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune […]1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
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This is the crap our children are learning / But oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning1987, Roger Waters, “The Tide Is Turning”, in Radio K.A.O.S.:
Can't you see that the tide is turning1988, Eddy Grant, “Gimme Hope Jo'anna”:
Ahead of a summit on Thursday evening in Brussels, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said the tide was turning.2026 June 18, Peter Beaumont, Pjotr Sauer, Jennifer Rankin, “Moscow oil refinery struck in Ukraine’s biggest air raid on city since start of war”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
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Chronology, Hobbies, Horology, LifestyleObsolete Time, notably anniversary, period or season linked to an ecclesiastical feast.
Except in liturgy
[...] and rest their weary limbs a tide.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza xxix:
Which, at th'appointed tyde, / Each one did make his Bryde1596, Edmund Spenser, Prothalamion:
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at the tide / Of Christ his birth1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain from the Birth of Jesus Christ until the year MDCXLVIII:
What is singular too, the spademen seem to work lazily; they will not work double-tides, even for offer of more wages, though their tide is but seven hours[.]1837, Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, (please specify the book or page number):
Etymology Inherited from Middle English tyde, from Old English tīd, from Proto-West Germanic *tīdi, from Proto-Germanic *tīdiz, from Proto-Indo-European *déh₂itis, from *deh₂y- + *-tis. Related to time. Cognate with Dutch tijd (“time”), German Zeit (“time”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish tid (“time”), Faroese and Icelandic tíð (“time”).
1
To cause to float with the tide; to drive or carry with the tide or stream.
They are tided down the stream.1623, Owen Feltham, Resolves: Divine, Moral, Political:
2
Broadly, In the phrase tide over To carry over or through a problem or difficulty.