tile

[ tahyl ]

noun

1. a thin slab or bent piece of baked clay, sometimes painted or glazed, used for various purposes, as to form one of the units of a roof covering, floor, or revetment.
2. any of various similar slabs or pieces, as of linoleum, stone, rubber, or metal.
3. tiles collectively.
4. a flat, rectangular playing piece used in certain games, as Scrabble and mah-jongg.
5. a pottery tube or pipe used for draining land.
6. Also called hollow tile. any of various hollow or cellular units of burnt clay or other materials, as gypsum or cinder concrete, for building walls, partitions, floors, and roofs, or for fireproofing steelwork or the like.
7. Informal. a stiff hat or high silk hat.

verb (used with object)

, tiled, til·ing.

1. to cover with or as with tiles.

tile

/ taɪl /

noun

1. a flat thin slab of fired clay, rubber, linoleum, etc, usually square or rectangular and sometimes ornamental, used with others to cover a roof, floor, wall, etc tegular
2. a short pipe made of earthenware, concrete, or plastic, used with others to form a drain
3. tiles collectively
4. a rectangular block used as a playing piece in mah jong and other games
5. old-fashioned.
   a hat
6. on the tiles informal.
   on a spree, esp of drinking or debauchery

verb

1. tr to cover with tiles

Derived Forms

• ˈtiler, noun

Other Words From

• tilelike adjective
• re·tile verb (used with object) retiled retiling

Word History and Origins

Origin of tile¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English tīgele (cognate with German Ziegel ), from Latin tēgula

Word History and Origins

Origin of tile¹

Old English tīgele, from Latin tēgula; related to German Ziegel

Example Sentences

I wanted to ask if he was worried that, like the countless Republican officials who tried to influence Trump before him, he was worried about becoming yet another tile in the mosaic of dejected former Trump officials who have gone on to become great cable news contributors.

From Salon

Their oldest brick is a drainage tile from 1833.

From BBC

For example, we chose to visit a tile factory and skip one of the wine tastings, making for a truly magical day in the countryside.

From Salon

That’s why when he built his own house in Brahmapuri five years ago, he chose a tile facade which doesn’t need to be refurbished frequently.

From BBC

"People don't understand the need to remove all of the mouldy material, they may just focus on the tile that the water is dripping from, they don't do full inspections of the ceiling void," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• brick
• plate
• shingle