tie-dye (tai´dai') •n. 1 a method of dyeing designs on cloth by tightly tying bunches of it as with waxed thread so that the dye affects only exposed parts 2 cloth so decorated or a design so made •vt. -dyed', -dye'ing to dye in this way
tie-in (tai´in') •adj. designating or of a sale in which two or more articles, one of which is usually scarce or in demand, are offered in combination, often at a reduced price, and cannot be bought separately •n. 1 a tie-in sale or advertisement 2 an article sold in this way 3 a connection or relationship
tiemannite (ti:´mэn ait') •n. a grayish mineral, HgSe, a compound of mercury and selenium [Ger tiemannit, after W. Tiemann, 19th-c. Ger mineralogist]
Tien Shan (tyen shän´) alt. sp. of TIAN SHAN
Tientsin (tyen tsin´, tin-) old name of TIANJIN
tiepin (tai´pin') •n. [Now Rare] STICKPIN (sense 1)
Tiepolo (tye´pô lô), Gio·van·ni Bat·tis·ta (jô vän´ni: bät ti:s´tä) 1696-1770; Venetian painter
tier¹ (tir) •n. 1 a row, or rank, of seats 2 any of a series of rows, layers, ranks, etc. arranged one above or behind another •vt., vi. to arrange or be arranged in tiers [< OFr tire, order, rank, dress < Frank *teri (akin to OHG ziari, beauty, OE tir, glory) < IE *dēiro- < base *dei-, to gleam > DEITY]
tier² (tai´эr) •n. 1 a person or thing that ties Æ 2 a type of pinafore formerly worn by children
tierce (tirs) •n. 1 orig., a third 2 [often T-] TERCE 3 an old unit of liquid measure, equal to ¹/3 pipe (42 gallons) 4 a cask of this capacity, between a barrel and a hogshead in size 5 Fencing the third defensive position, from which a lunge or parry can be made [ME terce < OFr < L tertia, fem. of tertius, (a) third < base of tres, THREE]
tiercel (tir´sэl) •n. Falconry a male hawk, esp. the male peregrine [ME tercel < OFr < VL *tertiolus < L tertius, third: said to be so named because it was believed that every third bird in a nest is a male]
Tierra del Fuego (ti: er'э del fwei´gou) 1 group of islands at the tip of South America, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan: they are divided between Argentina & Chile: c. 27,500 sq. mi. (71,225 sq. km) 2 chief island of this group, divided between Argentina & Chile: c. 18,500 sq. mi. (47,915 sq. km)
tie-up (tai´ûp') •n. Æ 1 a temporary stoppage or interruption of work, production, traffic, service, etc. 2 Æ a) a place for mooring a boat Æ b) [Dial.] a place for tying up cattle at night 3 connection, relation, or involvement
tiff¹ (tif) •n. 1 a slight fit of anger or bad humor; huff; pet 2 a slight quarrel; spat •vi. to be in or have a tiff [< ?]
tiff² (tif) •n. [Now Rare] 1 liquor; esp., weak liquor 2 a little drink of weak liquor or punch [< ?]
Tiffany (tif´э ni:) a feminine name Tiffany (tif´э ni:) •adj. designating or of a) a raised mounting or setting in a ring with a gem held in place by prongs b) an art nouveau style or design of stained glass, as for lampshades or windows [after L. C. Tiffany (1848-1933), U.S. designer & glass manufacturer, son of the jeweler] [after C. L. Tiffany (1812-1902), U.S. jeweler] tiffany (tif´э ni:) pl. -nies •n. a thin gauze of silk or muslin [OFr tiphanie, Epiphany < LL(Ec) theophania < Gr, lit., manifestation of God: reason for name uncert.]
tiffin (tif´in) •n., vi. old Brit. term for LUNCH [Anglo-Ind for tiffing, drinking, hence, by extension, eating < TIFF²]
Tiflis (tif´lis) old name of TBILISI
tiger (tai´gэr) pl. -gers or -ger •n. 1 a large, fierce Asian cat (Panthera tigris), having a tawny coat striped with black 2 any of several similar animals; esp., a) the South American jaguar b) the African leopard c) the Tasmanian wolf 3 a) a very energetic or persevering person b) a fierce, belligerent person Æ 4 [Archaic] a loud yell (often the word tiger) at the end of a round of cheers Æ have a tiger by the tail to find oneself in a situation from which it may be more dangerous or difficult to escape than to stay ti´ger·ish •adj. [ME tygre < OE tiger & OFr tigre, both < L tigris < Gr < Iran tigra-, sharp < IE base *(s)teig- > STICK]
tiger beetle any of various active, long-legged, brightly colored, often striped beetles (family Carabidae) with larvae that burrow in soil and feed on other insects
tiger cat 1 any of various wildcats smaller than, but somewhat resembling, the tiger, as the serval or ocelot 2 any of various domestic cats with tigerlike markings, esp. the shorthair or the American wirehair
tiger lily 1 a lily (Lilium tigrinum) having orange flowers with purplish-black spots 2 any of several kinds of lilies resembling this flower
tiger moth any of a family (Arctiidae) of stout-bodied moths with brightly striped or spotted wings: the caterpillars (woolly bears) have a dense coat of fine hairs
tiger salamander a widely distributed North American salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum, family Ambystomatidae) with a blackish body spotted with irregular yellow or white markings
tiger's-eye (tai´gэrz ai') •n. a semiprecious, yellow-brown stone, silicified crocidolite, used for ornament Also ti´ger·eye' (-gэr ai')
tight (tait) •adj. 1 orig., dense 2 so close or compact in structure that water, air, etc. cannot pass through {a tight boat} 3 drawn, packed, spaced, etc. closely together {a tight weave, a tight schedule of events} 4 [Dial.] snug; trim; neat 5 fixed securely; held firmly; firm {a tight joint} 6 fully stretched; taut, not slack or loose 7 fitting closely, esp. too closely, so as to be uncomfortable 8 strict; restraining; severe {tight control} 9 difficult to manage: esp. in the phrase a tight corner (or squeeze, etc.), a difficult situation 10 showing tension or strain {a tight smile} 11 almost even or tied; close {a tight race} 12 of a short radius; sharp: said of a spiral, curve, turn, etc. 13 a) difficult to get; scarce in relation to demand (said of commodities on a market, or of money available for loans) b) characterized by such scarcity {a tight market} 14 concise; condensed: said of language, style, etc. 15 [Now Chiefly Dial.] well-proportioned; shapely 16 [Dial.] competent; capable 17 [Colloq.] stingy; parsimonious 18 [Slang] drunk Æ 19 [Slang] intimate; familiar; friendly: usually with with •adv. in a tight manner; esp., a) securely or firmly {hold tight, sit tight} b) [Colloq.] soundly {sleep tight} sit tight to keep one's opinion or position and wait tight´ly •adv. tight´ness •n. SYN.—tight, in this connection, implies a constricting or binding encirclement [a tight collar] or such closeness or compactness of parts as to be impenetrable [airtight]; taut (and, loosely, also tight) is applied to a rope, cord, cloth, etc. that is pulled or stretched to the point where there is no slackness [taut sails]; tense suggests a tightness or tautness that results in great strain [tense muscles] see also DRUNK —ANT. loose, slack, lax [ME, altered (prob. infl. by toght: see TAUT) < thight < OE -thight, strong, akin to ON thēttr, Ger dicht, tight, thick < IE base *tenk-, to thicken, congeal > MIr tēcht, coagulated]
-tight (tait) combining form forming adjectives impervious to [< prec.]
tight end Football an end whose position is close to the tackle on the offensive line
tight ship [Colloq.] an institution, business, etc. that is highly organized and efficiently run, like a naval vessel on which discipline is strictly enforced
tight-ass (tait´æs) •n. [Slang] a strait-laced, inhibited person: objected to by some
tight-assed (tait´æst) •adj. [Slang] strait-laced and inhibited, as in behavior or attitudes: objected to by some
tighten (tait´ªn) •vt., vi. to make or become tight or tighter tight´en·er •n.
tightfisted (tait´fis'tid) •adj. stingy; closefisted
tightfitting (-fit'iŋ) •adj. fitting very tight
tightknit (tait´nit') •adj. 1 tightly knit 2 well organized, esp. in a concise or unified way {tightknit prose, a tightknit family}
tight-lipped (-lipt´) •adj. 1 having the lips closed tightly 2 not saying much; taciturn or secretive
tightrope (tait´roup') •n. a tightly stretched rope or cable on which aerialists walk or do balancing acts
tights (taits) •n.pl. a tightly fitting garment, with separate legs, for the lower half of the body, worn by acrobats, dancers, etc.
tightwad (tait´wäd') •n. [Slang] a stingy person; miser [TIGHT + WAD¹]
Tiglath-pileser III (tig´læθ' pai li:´zэr, -pi-) died c. 727 B.C.; king of Assyria (c. 745-c. 727)
tiglic acid (tig¿lik) a poisonous, monobasic acid, CH3CH:C(CH3)COOH, usually derived from croton oil and used in perfumes, flavors, etc. [< ModL tiglium, croton-oil plant < Gr tilos, thin feces (the seeds have a cathartic effect) < IE *ti-, var. of base *ta-, to melt > THAW]
tiglon (tai´ glän', -glэn) •n. the offspring of a male tiger and a female lion: also ti´gon' (-gän', -gэn) [TIG(ER) + L(I)ON]
Tigré (ti: grei´) region of N Ethiopia, on the Eritrea border •n. a modern Ethiopic language spoken in N Eritrea: it developed from a branch of N Ethiopic parallel to the branch that produced Tigrinya [< ?]
tigress (tai´gris) •n. 1 a female tiger 2 a woman thought of as like a tiger in sensuous sleekness, ferocity, etc.
Tigrinya (ti: gri:n´yэ) •n. a modern Ethiopic language, the direct descendant of Geez (classical Ethiopic): it is spoken by the majority of the population of Eritrea and by many people in Tigré [< TIGRÉ + ðñña, modern Ethiopic suffix for forming language names]
Tigris (tai´gris) river flowing from EC Turkey through Iraq, joining the Euphrates to form the Shatt-al-Arab: 1,150 mi. (1,850 km)
Tijuana (ti: wän´э, -hwän´э; Sp ti: hwä´nä) city in Baja California, NW Mexico, on the U.S. border: pop. 461,000
tike (taik) •n. alt. sp. of TYKE
Tiki (ti:´ki:) Polynesian Myth. the first man, or the god who creates him •n. [t-] a representation of an ancestor, god, etc., often a small sculptured figure worn as an amulet [Polynesian: prob. < Maori]
til (til, ti:l) •n. var. of TEEL
tilak (til´эk) •n. a religious mark, generally of sandalwood paste, worn on the forehead by Hindu males or females [Sans tilaka]
tilapia (tэ lä´pi: э, -lei´-) •n. any of various cichlids (genus Tilapia) introduced to the fresh water of the U.S., from Africa and Israel, to control the growth of algae, etc.
Tilburg (til´børg'; Du til´büřkh) city in the S Netherlands, in North Brabant province: pop. 154,000
tilbury (til´bэr i:) pl. -ries •n. a light, two-wheeled carriage for two persons, popular in the early 19th cent. [after the inventor, Tilbury, 19th-c. London coach builder]
tilde (til´dэ) •n. 1 a mark (~) used: a) in Spanish, over an n to indicate a palatal nasal sound (ny), as in señor b) in Portuguese, over a vowel or the first vowel of a diphthong to indicate nasalization, as in lã, pão 2 a similar mark used in some phonetic systems, to express negation in mathematics or logic, etc. [Sp, metathetic var. of *title < L titulus, superscription, TITLE]
Tilden (til´dэn), Samuel Jones 1814-86; U.S. politician
tile (tail) •n. 1 a) a thin, usually rectangular piece of stone, concrete, or unglazed, fired clay, used for roofing, flooring, etc. b) a thin, usually rectangular piece of glazed, fired clay, often decorated, used for fireplace borders, bathroom walls, etc. c) a similar piece of other material, as of metal, plastic, asphalt, rubber, etc., used to cover floors, walls, etc. 2 tiles collectively; tiling 3 a drain of semicircular tiles or earthenware pipe 4 hollow blocks of burnt clay, used variously in construction 5 any of the pieces used in mah-jongg or some other games 6 [Colloq.] a high, stiff hat •vt. tiled, til´ing to cover with tiles on the tiles [Brit. Colloq.] out carousing til´er •n. [ME < OE tigele, akin to Ger ziegel, both < WGmc *tegala < L tegula, tile < tegere, to cover: see THATCH]
tilefish (-fish') pl. (see FISH) -fish' •n.or -fish'es any of a family (Malacanthidae) of marine, percoid bottom fishes, including some large food fishes; esp., a W Atlantic species (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) with a golden-spotted blue or purple body, yellow-spotted fins, and a fleshy crest on the head [< ModL (Lophola)til(us) + FISH]
tiling (tail´iŋ) •n. 1 the action of a person who tiles 2 tiles collectively 3 a covering or structure of tiles
till¹ (til) •prep. 1 UNTIL 2 [Now Scot.] up to the place of; as far as conj. UNTIL [ME < OE til, akin to ON, to, till, OE, fitness: for IE base see TILL2]
till² (til) •vt., vi. to work (land) in raising crops, as by plowing, fertilizing, etc.; cultivate [ME tillen < OE tilian, lit., to strive for, work for, akin to Ger zielen, to aim, strive, ziel, point aimed at < IE base *ad-, to order, establish]
till³ (til) •n. 1 a drawer or tray, as in a store or bank counter, for keeping money 2 ready cash [earlier tille < ? ME tillen, to draw, reach < OE]
till4 (til) •n. unstratified, unsorted, glacial drift of clay, sand, boulders, and gravel [? var. of ME thill, substratum of clay < ? thille, a board, flooring; akin to diele < IE base *tel-, flat surface > L tellus, earth]
tillage (til´ij) •n. 1 the tilling of land 2 land that is tilled [TILL² + -AGE]
tillandsia (ti lænd´zi: э) •n. any of a genus (Tillandsia) of epiphytic plants of the pineapple family; esp., Spanish moss [ModL, after Elias Tillands, 17th-c. Swed botanist + -IA]
tiller¹ (til´эr) •n. a bar or handle for turning a boat's rudder [ME tiler, stock of a crossbow < OFr telier, weaver's beam < ML telarium < L tela, web (see TOIL²): naut. sense prob. infl. by ME tillen, to reach]
tiller² (til´эr) •n. a person or machine that tills the soil
tiller³ (til´эr) •n. a shoot growing from the base of the stem of a plant •vi. to send forth tillers [< OE telgor (extension of telga, a branch, bough, shoot)]
Tillich (til´ik), Paul (Johannes) 1886-1965; U.S. theologian, born in Germany
tillite (til´ait') •n. rock made up of consolidated till [TILL4 + -ITE¹]
Tilly (til´i:), Count of (Johann Tserklaes) 1559-1632; Fl. general in the Thirty Years' War
Tilsit (cheese) (til´zэt) a semihard, mild to sharp cheese with many small holes, made from cow's milk
tilt hammer a heavy drop hammer used in drop-forging
tilt¹ (tilt) •vt. 1 to cause to slope or slant; tip 2 a) to poise or thrust (a lance) in or as in a tilt b) to charge at (one's opponent) in a tilt 3 to forge or hammer with a tilt hammer 4 to direct (a discussion, policy, etc.) so as to favor a particular opinion or side •vi. 1 to slope; incline; slant; tip 2 to poise or thrust one's lance, or to charge (at one's opponent) in a tilt 3 to take part in a tilt or joust 4 to dispute, argue, contend, attack, etc. 5 to have, or come to have, a bias or inclination in favor of a particular opinion or side in a dispute •n. 1 a medieval contest in which two armed horsemen thrust with lances in an attempt to unseat each other; joust 2 any spirited contest, contention, dispute, etc. between persons 3 a thrust or parry, as with a lance 4 a) the act of tilting, or sloping b) the condition or angle of being tilted; slope or slant Æ 5 [Colloq.] a leaning, bias, etc. {a tilt toward conservatism} (at) full tilt at full speed; with the greatest force tilt´er •n. [ME tilten, to be overthrown, totter, prob. < OE *tieltan < tealt, shaky, unstable; akin to Swed tulta, to totter < IE base *del-, to waddle, totter > Sans dulā, she who totters]
tilt² (tilt) •n. a cloth covering or canopy of a boat, stall, cart, etc. •vt. to furnish or cover with a tilt [ME telte < OE teld, tent, akin to Ger zelt]
tilth (tilθ) •n. 1 a tilling or being tilled; cultivation of land 2 tilled land [ME tilthe < OE < tilian (see TILL²), akin to OFris tilath, cultivation]
tiltmeter (tilt´mi:t'эr) •n. CLINOMETER
tilt-top (tilt´täp') •adj. designating a table, stand, etc. designed so that the top, hinged to a pedestal, can be tipped to a vertical position
tiltyard (tilt´yärd') •n. a place where tilts were held
Tim Bible Timothy
timbal (tim´bэl) •n. KETTLEDRUM [Fr timbale, altered (by assoc. with cymbale, cymbal) < earlier attabale < Sp atabal, a Moorish kettledrum < Ar at-tabl < al, the + tabl, drum: cf. TABLA]
timbale (tim´bэl; Fr tæñ bål´) •n. 1 a mixture, as of chicken, lobster, or vegetables in a cream sauce, baked in a small drum-shaped mold; also, the mold 2 type of fried or baked pastry shell, filled with a cooked food: also timbale case [Fr, lit., kettledrum: see TIMBAL]
timber (tim´bэr) •n. 1 orig., a) a building b) building material 2 wood suitable for building houses, ships, etc., whether cut or still in the form of trees 3 a large, heavy, dressed piece of wood used in building; beam 4 [Brit., etc.] LUMBER¹ (n. 2) 5 trees or forests collectively 6 personal quality or character {a man of his timber} 7 Shipbuilding a wooden rib •vt. to provide, build, or prop up with timbers •adj. of or for timber •interj. a warning shout by a lumberman that a cut tree is about to fall [ME < OE, akin to Ger zimmer, room (< OHG zimbar, wooden structure) < IE base *dem-, *dema-, to join together, build > L domus, house]
timber hitch Naut. a knot used for tying a rope to a spar: see KNOT¹, illus.
timber rattlesnake a yellowish-brown to black rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) with V-shaped bands on the back
timber wolf GRAY WOLF
timbered (-bэrd) •adj. 1 made of timbers 2 covered with trees; wooded 3 having exposed timbers, as a wall
timbering (tim´bэr iŋ) •n. 1 timbers collectively 2 work made of timber
timberland (tim´bэr lænd') •n. land with trees suitable for timber; wooded land
timberline (-lain') •n. the line above or beyond which trees do not grow, as on mountains or in polar regions
timberwork (-wørk') •n. work made of timber; timbering
timbre (tæm´bэr; also, tim´-; Fr tæñ´břª) •n. the characteristic quality of sound that distinguishes one voice or musical instrument from another or one vowel sound from another: it is determined by the harmonics of the sound and is distinguished from the intensity and pitch tim´bral (-brэl) •adj. [Fr, timbre, earlier, sound of a bell < MFr, ball struck by a hammer < OFr, a kind of drum < LGr tymbanon < Gr tympanon: see TYMPAN]
timbrel (tim´brэl) •n. an ancient type of tambourine [dim. of ME timbre < OFr: see TIMBRE]
Timbuktu (tim'bûk tu:´) old name of TOMBOUCTOU
time (taim) •n. I. duration; continuance 1 indefinite, unlimited duration in which things are considered as happening in the past, present, or future; every moment there has ever been or ever will be 2 a) the entire period of existence of the known universe; finite duration, as distinguished from infinity b) the entire period of existence of the world or of humanity; earthly duration, as distinguished from eternity 3 a system of measuring duration {solar time, standard time} II. a period or interval 1 the period between two events or during which something exists, happens, or acts; measured or measurable interval 2 [often pl.] any period in the history of man or of the universe, often specif. with reference to a characteristic social structure, set of customs, famous person living then, etc. {prehistoric times, medieval times, geologic time, Lincoln's time} 3 a) a period characterized by a prevailing condition or specific experience {a time of peace, have a good time} b) [usually pl.] the prevailing conditions of a particular period {the times were difficult} 4 a period of duration set or thought of as set; specif., a) a period of existence; lifetime {his time is almost over} b) a term of apprenticeship c) a term of imprisonment d) a term of military service Æ e) [Obs.] a period of indenture 5 a period or periods necessary, sufficient, or available for something {no time for play} 6 the specific, usual, or allotted period during which something is done {the runner's time was 1.47 minutes; baking time, 20 minutes} 7 a) the period regularly worked or to be worked by an employee b) the hourly rate of pay for the regular working hours 8 rate of speed in marching, driving, working, etc. {quick time, double time} 9 Drama one of the three unities: see phrase at UNITY 10 Music a) the grouping of rhythmic beats into measures of equal length b) the characteristic rhythm of a piece of music in terms of this grouping, indicated by the time signature c) the rate of speed at which a composition or passage is played; tempo d) loosely, the rhythm and tempo characteristic of a kind of composition {waltz time, march time} e) the duration of a note or rest 11 Prosody a unit of quantitative meter; esp., a mora, or short syllable Æ 12 Sports TIMEOUT III. a point in duration; moment; instant; occasion 1 a precise instant, second, minute, hour, day, week, month, or year, determined by clock or calendar 2 the point at which something has happened, is happening, or will happen; occasion {game time is two o'clock} 3 the usual, natural, traditional, or appointed moment for something to happen, begin, or end [time to get up]; specif., a) the moment of death {his time is close at hand} b) the end of a period of pregnancy; moment of giving birth {her time had come} Æ c) one's turn at something {a time at bat} 4 the suitable, proper, favorable, or convenient moment {now is the time to act} 5 any one of a series of moments at which the same or nearly the same thing recurs; repeated occasion {told for the fifth time, time and time again} •interj. Sports an exclamation signaling that a period of play or activity is ended or that play is temporarily suspended •vt. timed, tim´ing 1 to arrange or set the time of so as to be acceptable, suitable, opportune, etc. {to time an invasion} 2 to adjust, set, play, etc. so as to coincide in time with something else {to time one's watch with another's} 3 to regulate (a mechanism) for a given speed or length of operation 4 to set the duration of (a syllable or musical note) as a unit of rhythm 5 to calculate or record the pace, speed, finishing time, etc. of; clock {to time a runner} •vi. [Rare] to move in time; keep time •adj. 1 having to do with time 2 set or regulated so as to explode, open, etc. at a given time {a time bomb} 3 payable later or on a specified future date {a time loan} Æ 4 designating or of any of a series of payments made or to be made over a period of time {a time payment} [T-] FATHER TIME abreast of the times 1 up-to-date, as in ideas, fashions, etc.; modern 2 informed about current matters against time in an effort to finish in a given time Æ ahead of time sooner than due; early at one time 1 simultaneously 2 formerly at the same time 1 simultaneously; in the same period 2 nonetheless; however at times occasionally; sometimes behind the times out-of-date; old-fashioned behind time late between times at intervals, as between other events or actions do time [Colloq.] to serve a prison term for the time being for the present; temporarily from time to time at intervals; now and then gain time 1 to go too fast: said of a timepiece 2 to prolong a situation until a desired occurrence can take place in good time 1 at the proper time 2 in a creditably short time; quickly in no time almost instantly; very quickly in time 1 in the course of time; eventually 2 before it is too late 3 keeping the set rhythm, tempo, pace, etc. lose time 1 to go too slow: said of a timepiece 2 to let time go by without advancing one's objective make time 1 to compensate for lost time by going faster, as a train Æ 2 to travel, work, etc. at a specified, especially fast, rate of speed {we made (good) time between Boston and Albany} Æ make time with [Slang] to succeed in attracting or having an affair with (a person) many a time often; frequently Æ on one's own time during time for which one is not paid; during other than working hours on time Æ 1 at the appointed time; punctual or punctually Æ 2 to be paid for in installments over a period of time out of time 1 not at the usual time; unseasonable 2 not keeping the set rhythm, tempo, pace, etc. pass the time of day to exchange a few words of greeting, etc. time after time again and again; continually Also time and again time of life age (of a person) Æ time of one's life [Colloq.] an experience of great pleasure for one time on one's hands an interval with nothing to do time out of mind TIME IMMEMORIAL (sense 1) time was there was a time [ME < OE tima, prob. < IE *dī-men < base *dā(i)-, to part, divide up > TIDE¹]
time and a half a rate of payment one and a half times the usual rate, as for working overtime
time bomb 1 an explosive device connected to a timer that will set it off at a given moment 2 any potentially destructive state of affairs
time capsule a container in which articles, documents, etc. representative of current civilization are encased, to be buried or otherwise preserved for a future age
time clock a clock with a mechanism for recording on a timecard the time an employee begins and ends a work period
time deposit a bank deposit payable at a specified future date or upon advance notice
time discount Commerce a discount in price for payment made before the bill is due
time draft a draft payable at a future specified date
time exposure 1 an exposure of a photographic film or plate for a relatively long period, generally longer than half a second 2 a photograph taken in this way
time frame a given interval of time, esp. in relation to a particular event or process {the time frame for the satellite launch}
time immemorial 1 time so long past as to be vague 2 Eng. Law beyond legal memory, fixed by statute as prior to 1189, the beginning of the reign of Richard I
time limit a fixed period of time during which something is valid, or must be done, completed, or ended
time loan a loan to be repaid at a specified time
time lock a lock with a mechanism that prevents opening before the set time
time sharing 1 a system permitting the simultaneous employment of a computer by many users at remote locations 2 a system for sharing ownership in a vacation home, condominium, etc., in which each of the joint purchasers may occupy the unit during a specified period each year: also time share time´-shared' •adj.
time sheet a sheet on which are recorded the hours worked by an employee or employees
time signature Music a sign consisting of one number over another, esp. after the key signature, indicating the unit of measurement and the number of beats in the following measure or measures (e.g., ¾ means three quarter-note beats); also, a nonnumerical sign used in this way (e.g., C is often used instead of 4/4)
time study study of each of the steps in an operational or production procedure and the time consumed by them, for the purpose of devising methods of increasing efficiency or productivity of workers In full time and motion study
time warp the condition or process of being displaced from one point in time to another, as in science fiction
time zone see STANDARD TIME
timecard (taim´kärd') •n. a card on which the hours worked by an employee are recorded, as by using a time clock
time-consuming (-kэn su:m'iŋ, -syu:m'-) •adj. using up much or too much time {a time-consuming task}
time-honored (taim´än'эrd) •adj. honored or observed because in existence or usage for a long time
timekeeper (taim´ki:'pэr) •n. 1 TIMEPIECE 2 a person who keeps time; specif., a) a person employed to keep account of the hours worked by employees b) a person who keeps account of the elapsed time in the periods of play in certain sports
time-lapse (-læps') •adj. designating or of a technique of photographing a slow process, as the growth of a plant, on motion-picture film by exposing single frames at widely spaced intervals: the developed film is projected at regular speed to show the entire process greatly speeded up
timeless (taim´lis) •adj. 1 that cannot be measured by time; unending 2 transcending time; eternal 3 restricted to no specific time; always valid, true, or applicable 4 [Obs.] untimely time´less·ly •adv. time´less·ness •n.
timely (taim´li:) -li·er, -li·est •adj. 1 happening, done, said, etc. at a suitable time; well-timed; opportune 2 [Now Rare] appearing in good time; early •adv. 1 [Archaic] early; soon 2 at the right time; opportunely {the brief was timely filed with the court} time´li·ness •n. SYN.—timely applies to that which happens or is done at an appropriate time, esp. at such a time as to be of help or service [a timely interruption]; opportune refers to that which is so timed, often as if by accident, as to meet exactly the needs of the occasion [the opportune arrival of a supply train]; seasonable applies literally to that which is suited to the season of the year or, figuratively, to the moment or occasion [seasonable weather] [ME tymeli < OE timlice: see TIME & -LY¹]
timeous (taim´эs) •adj. [Scot.] TIMELY
timeout (taim´aut´) •n. 1 any time taken for rest or not counted toward a work record, score, etc. Æ 2 Football, Basketball, etc. any suspension of play, with the timekeeper's clock stopped, to allow a team to make substitutions, discuss strategy, etc.
timepiece (taim´pi:s') •n. any apparatus for measuring and recording time; esp., a clock or watch
timer (taim´эr) •n. 1 a) TIMEKEEPER b) STOPWATCH Æ 2 in internal-combustion engines, any part or system designed to control the timing of the spark in the cylinder 3 any of various devices for timing, or automatically starting and stopping at predetermined times, the operation of some mechanism
times (taimz) •prep. multiplied by: symbol, X {two times three is six}
timesaving (taim´seiv'iŋ) •adj. that saves time because of greater efficiency, etc. time´sav'er •n.
timeserver (taim´sør'vэr) •n. one who for personal advantage deliberately surrenders one's principles and acts in conformity with the patterns of behavior prevailing at the time or sanctioned by those in authority; toady time´serv'ing •n., adj.
timetable (taim´tei'bэl) •n. a schedule of the times certain things are to happen, esp. of the times of arrival and departure of airplanes, trains, buses, etc.
time-tested (taim´test'id) •adj. having value proved by long use or experience
timework (taim´wørk') •n. work paid for by the hour or day: cf. PIECEWORK time´work'er •n.
timeworn (taim´wörn') •adj. 1 worn or deteriorated by long use or existence 2 hackneyed; trite
timid (tim´id) •adj. 1 easily frightened; lacking self-confidence; shy; timorous 2 showing fear or lack of self-confidence; hesitant {a timid reply} SYN. AFRAID ti·mid·i·ty (tэ mid´э ti:) or tim´id·ness •n. tim´id·ly •adv. [L timidus < timere, to fear]
timing (taim´iŋ) •n. 1 a) the regulation of the speed, or of the moment of occurrence, of something so as to produce the most effective results {the timing of an engine, of a golfer's swing, of an announcement, etc.} b) the pacing of various scenes, as of a play, for total effect 2 measurement of time, as with a stopwatch
Timişoara (ti:'mi: shwä´rэ) city in the Banat region of W Romania: pop. 262,000
Timmins (tim´inz) city in NE Ontario, Canada, north of Sudbury: pop. 46,000
timocracy (tai mäk´rэ si:) •n. 1 in Plato, a form of government in which ambition for power and glory motivates the rulers 2 in Aristotle, a form of government in which political power is in direct proportion to property ownership ti·mo·crat·ic (tai'mou kræt´ik) •adj. [MFr tymocracie < ML timocratia < Gr timokratia < timē, honor, worth (< IE base *kwei-, to heed, value > Lith káina, worth, price) + kratia (see -CRACY)]
Timor (ti:´mör', ti: mör´, tai´mör') island of Indonesia, in the SE Malay Archipelago: c. 13,000 sq. mi. (33,670 sq. km)
Timor Sea arm of the Indian Ocean, between Timor & the NW coast of Australia: c. 300 mi. (483 km) wide
timorous (tim´эr es) •adj. 1 full of or subject to fear; timid 2 showing or caused by timidity SYN. AFRAID tim´or·ous·ly •adv. tim´or·ous·ness •n. [ME tymerouse < MFr timoreus < ML timorosus < L timor, fear]
Timothy (tim´э θi:) 1 a masculine name: dim. Tim 2 either of two books of the New Testament, letters of the Apostle Paul to his disciple Timothy: abbrev. Tim, Tm, or Ti [Fr Timothée < L Timotheus < Gr Timotheos < timē, honor (see TIMOCRACY) + theos, god (see THEO-)] timothy (tim´э θi:) •n. Æ a perennial European grass (Phleum pratense) with dense, cylindrical spikes of bristly spikelets, widely grown for hay [after Timothy Hanson, who took the seed (c. 1720) from New York to the Carolinas]
timpani (tim´pэ ni:) sing. -pa·no' (-nou') •n.pl. [often with sing. v.] kettledrums; esp., a set of kettledrums of different pitches played by one performer in an orchestra tim´pa·nist •n. [It, pl. of timpano < L tympanum: see TYMPAN]
Timur (ti: mu:r´) var. of TAMERLANE
tin (tin) •n. 1 a soft, silver-white, crystalline, metallic chemical element, malleable at ordinary temperatures, capable of a high polish, and used as an alloy in tinfoils, solders, utensils, type metals, superconducting magnets, etc. and in making tin plate: symbol, Sn; at. wt., 118.69; at. no., 50; sp. gr., 7.31; melt. pt., 231.9°C; boil. pt., 2,270°C 2 TIN PLATE 3 a) a pan, box, etc. made of tin plate b) [Chiefly Brit., etc.] CAN² (n. 2, 3) 4 [Old Slang] money Variously used to connote cheapness, baseness, spuriousness, etc. of a material or thing •vt. tinned, tin´ning 1 to cover or plate with tin 2 [Chiefly Brit., etc.] CAN² (vt. 1) [ME < OE, akin to Ger zinn; only in Gmc languages]
tin can 1 CAN² (n. 2) 2 [Slang] DESTROYER (n. 2)
tin ear Æ [Colloq.] a lack of discriminating sensitivity to music, speech, etc.
tin god an often pompous or dictatorial person who demands or receives more respect than is merited
tin lizzie (tin´ liz´i:) [Old Slang] any cheap or old automobile [orig. nickname of an early model of Ford automobile]
Tin Pan Alley 1 a district of New York, where there are many songwriters, publishers of popular music, etc. 2 a) any similar urban area b) the publishers, writers, and promoters of popular music
tin plate thin sheets of iron or steel plated with tin
Tina (ti:´nэ) a feminine name: see CHRISTINE, ERNESTINE, JUSTINA
tinamou (tin´э mu:') •n. any of an order (Tinamiformes) of Central and South American birds resembling fowl, that are strong runners and live in brush or forests [Fr < Carib tinamu]
Tinbergen (tin´ber'kэn) 1 Jan (yän) 1903- ; Du. economist 2 Ni·ko·laas (ni:´kô läs') 1907-88; Du. ethologist: brother of Jan
tincal (tiŋ´käl', -köl') •n. crude borax [Malay tingkal < Pers tinkāl, tinkar < Sans tankana]
tinct abbrev. tincture tinct (tiŋkt) •adj. [Archaic] tinged; tinted •n. [Now Rare] a color; tint [L tinctus, pp. of tingere: see TINGE]
tinctorial (tiŋk tör´i: эl) •adj. having to do with color, dyeing, or staining tinc·to´ri·al·ly •adv. [< L tinctorius < tinctor, dyer < tinctus: see TINCTURE]
tincture (tiŋk´chэr) •n. 1 orig., a dye 2 a light color; tint; tinge 3 a slight admixture or infusion of some substance or quality; trace, smattering, etc. 4 Heraldry any color, metal, or fur 5 Pharmacy an alcoholic or water-alcoholic solution of a medicinal substance, usually 10% to 20% by volume: tinctures are more dilute than fluid extracts and more volatile than spirits •vt. -tured, -tur·ing 1 to color lightly; tint; tinge 2 to imbue or permeate lightly with some substance or quality {a message tinctured with hope} [ME < L tinctura < tinctus, pp. of tingere, to dye: see TINGE]
Tindale or Tindal (tin´dэl), William alt. sp. of William TYNDALE
tinder (tin´dэr) •n. any dry, easily flammable material, esp. as formerly used for starting a fire from a spark made by flint and steel struck together [ME < OE tynder (akin to Ger zunder) < base of OE tendan, to kindle]
tinderbox (-bäks') •n. 1 [Obs.] a metal box for holding tinder, flint, and steel for starting a fire 2 any highly flammable object, structure, etc. 3 a place or situation likely to be the source of a flare-up of trouble, war, etc.
tine (tain) •n. a slender, projecting part that is pointed at the end; prong {the tines of a fork} tined •adj. [ME tind < OE, akin to OHG zint, a jag, prong: see ZINC]
tine test a tuberculin test in which the skin is punctured by small tines, or prongs, coated with a small amount of protein from dead tubercle bacilli
tinea (tin´i: э) •n. any of various skin diseases caused by a fungus; esp., ringworm [ME < L, gnawing worm, moth]
tinea barbae (bär´bi:) BARBER'S ITCH
tinea cruris (krur´is) JOCK ITCH
tineid (tin´i: id) •n. CLOTHES MOTH [< L tinea, gnawing worm, moth + -ID]
tinfoil (tin´foil') •n. 1 very thin sheet or sheets of tin or an alloy of tin and lead, etc., used in insulation, etc. 2 [Colloq.] a very thin sheet or sheets of aluminum used for wrapping food products, etc.
ting (tiŋ) •n. a single, light, ringing sound, as of a small bell being struck •vt., vi. to make or cause to make a ting [echoic]
ting-a-ling (tiŋ´э liŋ') •n. the sound of a small bell ringing repeatedly
tinge (tinj) tinged, tinge´ing or ting´ing •vt. 1 to color slightly; give a tint to 2 to give a trace, slight flavor or odor, shade, etc. to {joy tinged with sorrow} •n. 1 a slight coloring; tint 2 a slight trace, flavor, odor, etc.; smack; touch SYN. COLOR [L tingere, to dye, stain < IE base *teng-, to moisten > Gr tengein, to moisten, OHG dunkon, to dip]
tingle (tiŋ´gэl) -gled, -gling •vi. 1 to have a prickling or stinging feeling, as from cold, a sharp slap, excitement, etc. 2 to cause this feeling •vt. to cause to have this feeling •n. this feeling tin´gler •n. tin´gling·ly •adv. tin´gly, -gli·er, -gli·est, •adj. [ME tynglen, var. of tinklen, to TINKLE]
tinhorn (tin´hörn') •adj. [Slang] pretending to have money, influence, ability, etc., though actually lacking in these; cheap and showy {a tinhorn sport} •n. [Slang] a tinhorn person, esp. a gambler [< phr. tin horn gambler: so named from use of metal dice-shaker in chuck-a-luck games, scorned as petty by faro dealers]
tinily (tai´nэl i:) •adv. to a tiny degree; minutely
tininess (tai´ni: nis) •n. the quality or condition of being tiny
tinker (tiŋk´эr) •n. 1 a usually itinerant person who mends pots, pans, etc. 2 a person who can make all kinds of minor repairs; jack-of-all-trades 3 a clumsy or unskillful worker; bungler Æ 4 a young mackerel •vi. 1 to work as a tinker 2 to make clumsy or tentative attempts to mend or repair something 3 to fuss or putter aimlessly or uselessly •vt. to mend as a tinker; patch up tin´ker·er •n. [ME tinkere < ? or akin to tinken, to make a tinkling sound]
tinker's damn (or dam) something of no value Esp. in not worth a tinker's damn [< prec. + DAMN: with reference to the lowly status and reputed profane speech of tinkers]
Tinkertoy (tiŋk´эr toi') trademark for a toy set of wooden dowels, joints, wheels, etc., used by children to assemble structures •n. [t-] anything resembling or suggesting such a structure or any of the toy parts •adj. [t-] suggesting such structures or parts, as in being flimsy or slipshod {tinkertoy economics}
tinkle (tiŋk´эl) -kled, -kling •vi. 1 to make a series of small, short, light, ringing sounds like those of a very small bell Æ 2 [Colloq.] to urinate: child's term •vt. 1 to cause to tinkle 2 to indicate, signal, etc. by tinkling •n. the act or sound of tinkling give someone a tinkle [Brit.] to call someone on the telephone tin´kler •n. tin´kly, -kli·er, -kli·est, •adj. [ME tynclen, freq. of tinken, to make a tinkling sound, of echoic orig.]
tinman (tin´mэn) pl. -men •n. TINSMITH
tinned (tind) •adj. 1 plated with tin 2 [Brit., etc.] preserved in tins; canned
tinner (tin´эr) •n. 1 a tin miner 2 TINSMITH
tinnitus (ti nait´es; also tin´i tэs) •n. any ringing or buzzing in the ear not resulting from an external stimulus [L < pp. of tinnire, to tinkle, of echoic orig.]
tinny (tin´i:) -ni·er, -ni·est •adj. 1 of, containing, or yielding tin 2 like tin in appearance or strength; bright but cheap; not well-made {tinny jewelry} 3 of or like the sound made in striking a tin object; specif., having a high-pitched sound lacking in resonance {tinny music} 4 tasting of tin tin´ni·ly •adv. tin´ni·ness •n.
tin-plate (tin´pleit´) -plat´ed, -plat´ing •vt. to plate with tin
tinsel (tin´sэl) •n. 1 [Historical] a cloth of silk, wool, etc. interwoven with glittering threads of gold, silver, or other metal 2 thin sheets, strips, or threads of tin, metal foil, etc., used for inexpensive decoration 3 something that glitters like precious metal but has little worth; empty show; sham splendor •adj. 1 made of or decorated with tinsel 2 having sham splendor; showy; gaudy; tawdry •vt. -seled or -selled, -sel·ing or -sel·ling 1 to make glitter with or as with tinsel 2 to give a false appearance of splendor to tin´sel·ly •adj. [aphetic < MFr estincelle, a spark, spangle: see STENCIL]
Tinseltown (-taun') name for HOLLYWOOD, California
tinsmith (tin´smiθ') •n. a person who works in tin or tin plate; maker of tinware
tinstone (tin´stoun') •n. CASSITERITE
tint (tint) •n. 1 a delicate or pale color or hue; tinge 2 a color or a shading of a color; esp., a gradation of a color with reference to its mixture with white 3 a dye for the hair 4 Engraving an even shading produced by fine parallel lines 5 Printing a light-colored background, as for an illustration •vt. to give a tint to SYN. COLOR tint´er •n. [earlier tinct < L tinctus, a dyeing, dipping < pp. of tingere, to dye, TINGE]
Tintagel Head (tin tæ´jэl) cape of NW Cornwall, England: legendary birthplace of King Arthur
tintinnabulary (tin'ti næb´yu: ler'i:) •adj. of bells or the ringing of bells: also tin'tin·nab´u·lar (-lэr) or tin'tin·nab´u·lous (-lэs) [< L tintinnabulum, little bell, dim. of tintinnare, to jingle, ring < tinnire, to jingle + -ARY]
tintinnabulation (tin'ti næb'yu: lei´shэn) •n. the ringing sound of bells [see TINTINNABULARY & -TION]
Tintoretto (tin'tэ ret´ou; It ti:n'tô řet´tô), Il (i:l) (born Jacopo Robusti) 1518-94; Venetian painter
tintype (tin´taip') •n. FERROTYPE
tinware (-wer') •n. pots, pans, etc. made of tin plate
tinwork (tin´wørk') •n. 1 work done in tin 2 [pl., with sing. v.] a place where tin is smelted, rolled, etc.
tiny (tai´ni:) -ni·er, -ni·est •adj. very small; diminutive SYN. SMALL [< ME n. tine, a little (something)]
-tion (shэn) suffix forming nouns 1 the act of ~ing 2 the state of being ~ed 3 the thing that is ~ed [< Fr, OFr, or L: Fr -tion < OFr -cion < L -tio (gen. -tionis) < -t- of pp. stem + -io (gen. -ionis), suffix]
-tious (shэs) suffix forming adjectives of, having, or characterized by [< Fr or L: Fr -tieux < L -tiosus < -t- of pp. stem + -iosus, -OUS]
tip cart a cart with a body that can be tipped for dumping its contents
tip¹ (tip) •n. 1 the pointed, tapering, or rounded end or top of something long and slim 2 something attached to the end, as a cap, ferrule, etc. 3 a top or apex, as of a mountain •vt. tipped, tip´ping 1 to make a tip on 2 to cover the tip or tips of (with something) 3 to serve as the tip of Æ 4 to remove the stems from (berries, etc.) tip in to insert (a map, picture, etc.) by pasting along the inner edge in bookbinding tip of the iceberg a small difficulty, problem, misdeed, etc. that is thought to be only a part of one larger in scope tip´less •adj. [ME tippe, akin to MLowG tip, point, top, Ger zipf- in zipfel, an end, tip, prob. < IE base *dumb-, tail > Avestan duma-, tail]
tip² (tip) tipped, tip´ping •vt. 1 to strike lightly and sharply; tap 2 to give a small present of money to (a waiter, porter, etc.) for some service 3 [Colloq.] a) to give secret information to in an attempt to be helpful (often with off) b) to reveal or divulge (a secret, plot, etc.) Æ 4 Baseball a) to hit (the ball) a glancing blow b) to glance off (the bat, glove, etc.) (said of the ball) •vi. to give a tip or tips •n. 1 a light, sharp blow; tap: cf. FOUL TIP 2 a piece of secret information given confidentially in an attempt to be helpful {a tip on the race} 3 a suggestion, hint, warning, etc. 4 a small present of money given to a waiter, porter, etc. for services; gratuity Æ tip one's hand (or mitt) [Slang] to reveal a secret, one's plans, etc., often inadvertently [akin ? to prec.]
tip³ (tip) tipped, tip´ping •vt. 1 to overturn or upset: often with over 2 to cause to tilt or slant 3 to raise slightly or touch the brim of (one's hat) in salutation •vi. 1 to tilt or slant 2 to overturn or topple: often with over •n. 1 a tipping or being tipped; tilt; slant 2 [Brit., etc. (exc. Cdn.)] a place for dumping rubbish, etc.; dump tip the scales at to weigh (a specified amount) [ME tipen < ?]
tipcat (tip´kæt') •n. 1 a game in which a small piece of wood, usually tapered at both ends, is struck on one end with a bat or stick so that it is flipped into the air, where it can be batted for distance 2 the small piece of wood used in this game [TIP² + CAT]
tipi (ti:´pi:) pl. -pis' •n. alt. sp. of TEPEE
tip-off (tip´öf') •n. 1 the act of tipping off 2 a tip; confidential disclosure, hint, or warning
Tippecanoe (tip'i kэ nu:´) 1 river in N Ind. flowing southwest into the Wabash: c. 180 mi. (289 km): scene of a battle (1811) in which U.S. forces under William Henry Harrison defeated a band of Tecumseh's Indians 2 William Henry HARRISON [earlier Kithtipecanunk < Miami Kitapkwanunk (exact form uncert.), lit., buffalo-fish place]
tipper (tip´эr) •n. a person who gives tips, or gratuities
Tipperary (tip'эr er´i:) county of S Ireland, in Munster province: 1,643 sq. mi. (4,255 sq. km); pop. 138,000
tippet (tip´it) •n. 1 a long, hanging part of a hood, cape, or sleeve 2 a scarflike garment of fur, wool, etc. for the neck and shoulders, hanging down in front 3 a long, black scarf worn as by members of the Anglican clergy [ME tipet, prob. dim. of tip, TIP¹]
Tippett (tip´it), Sir Michael (Kemp) 1905- ; Brit. composer
tipple¹ (tip´эl) -pled, -pling •vi., vt. to drink (alcoholic liquor) habitually •n. alcoholic liquor tip´pler •n. [prob. back-form. < ME tipelar, tavern-keeper < ?]
tipple² (tip´эl) •n. 1 an apparatus for emptying coal, etc. from a mine car by tipping 2 the place where this is done [< obs. tipple, freq. of TIP³]
tippy (tip´i:) -pi·er, -pi·est •adj. [Colloq.] that tips easily; not steady; shaky
tippy-toe or tippytoe (tip´i: tou') •n., adj., adv. colloq. var. of TIPTOE •vi. -toed', -toe'ing
tipstaff (tip´stæf') pl. -staffs' or -staves' (-steivz') •n. 1 a staff with a metal tip, formerly carried as an emblem by certain officials 2 an official who carried such a staff; esp., in England, a bailiff or constable
tipster (tip´stэr) •n. [Colloq.] a person who sells tips, as on horse races, for stock speculation, etc.
tipsy (tip´si:) -si·er, -si·est •adj. 1 that tips easily; not steady; shaky 2 crooked; awry 3 somewhat drunk; intoxicated enough to be somewhat unsteady, fuddled, etc. SYN. DRUNK tip´si·ly •adv. tip´si·ness •n.
tiptoe (tip´tou') •n. the tip of a toe or the tips of the toes: usually used with reference to a foot position with the heels raised and the body's weight resting on the toes and the balls of the feet •vi. -toed', -toe'ing to walk stealthily or cautiously on one's tiptoes •adj. 1 standing on one's toes and the balls of one's feet 2 stealthy; cautious •adv. on tiptoe on tiptoe 1 on one's toes and the balls of one's feet 2 eager; excited; alert 3 silently; stealthily
tiptop (tip´täp') •n. 1 the highest point; very top 2 [Colloq.] the highest in quality or excellence; best •adj., adv. 1 at the highest point, or top 2 [Colloq.] at the highest point of excellence, health, etc. [TIP¹ + TOP¹]
tirade (tai´reid', tai reid´) •n. a long, vehement speech, esp. one of denunciation; harangue [Fr < It tirata, a volley < pp. of tirare, to draw, fire < VL *tirare]
Tirana (tэ rän´э) capital of Albania, in the central part: pop. 194,000: also Ti·ra´në (-rän´э)
tire chain a device made of chains, attached around a tire's tread on a motor vehicle to increase traction, as on snow
tire¹ (tair) tired, tir´ing •vi. 1 to become in need of rest; become weary or fatigued through exertion 2 to lose interest or patience; become bored or impatient: usually with of •vt. 1 to diminish the strength of by exertion, etc.; fatigue; weary 2 to diminish the patience or interest of, as by dull talk, etc.; make weary; bore [ME tiren < OE tiorian, to fail, be tired, prob. < Gmc *tiuzōn, to stay behind < IE *deus-, to cease < base *deu-, to move forward]
tire² (tair) •n. 1 a hoop of iron or rubber around the wheel of a vehicle, forming the tread 2 an inflatable, vulcanized rubber or synthetic casing sealed to a wheel rim by a specified pressure and designed to reduce shock, improve traction and handling, etc.; tubeless tire: it has replaced the tube-type tire which contains a separate, soft, thin rubber inner tube to hold the air: see RADIAL (PLY) TIRE •vt. tired, tir´ing to furnish with tires [ME tyre, prob. var. (in sense equipment) of fol.]
tire³ (tair) tired, tir´ing •vt. [Archaic] to attire or dress •n. [Archaic] [ME < atir: see vt.] 1 attire 2 a woman's headdress [ME tiren, aphetic for atiren, ATTIRE]
tired (tai´эrd) •adj. 1 fatigued, worn-out, or weary 2 stale; hackneyed Æ make one tired [Slang] to annoy; vex {this foolishness makes me tired} tired´ly •adv. tired´ness •n. SYN.—tired is applied to one who has been drained of much of his strength and energy through exertion, boredom, impatience, etc. [tired by years of hard toil]; weary (or wearied) suggests such depletion of energy or interest as to make one unable or unwilling to continue [weary of study]; exhausted implies a total draining of strength and energy, as after a long, hard climb; fatigued refers to one who has lost so much energy through prolonged exertion that rest and sleep are essential [fatigued at the end of the day]; fagged, an informal word, suggests great exhaustion or fatigue from hard, unremitting work or exertion [completely fagged after a set of tennis] [ME (Northern) tyrit < tiren: see TIRE¹]
tireless (tai´эr lis) •adj. that does not become tired; untiring tire´less·ly •adv. tire´less·ness •n.
Tiresias (tai ri:´si: эs) Gr. Myth. a blind soothsayer of Thebes [L < Gr Teiresias]
tiresome (tai´эr sэm) •adj. 1 tiring; boring; tedious 2 annoying; irksome tire´some·ly •adv. tire´some·ness •n. [see -SOME¹]
tirewoman (tair´wum'эn) pl. -wom'en •n. [Archaic] a lady's maid [see TIRE³]
Tirich Mir (tir'ich mir´) mountain in N Pakistan: highest peak of the Hindu Kush: 25,230 ft. (7,690 m)
tiring room (tair´iŋ) [Archaic] a dressing room, esp. in a theater [see TIRE³]
tiro (tai´rou) pl. -ros •n. alt. sp. of TYRO
Tirol (ti roul´, -räl´; tir´oul', -äl') E Alpine region in W Austria & N Italy Ti·ro·le·an (ti rou´li: эn, tai-; also tir'э li:´эn) •adj., n. Tir·o·lese (tir'э li:z´, -li:s´), -lese´, •adj., n.
Tiros (tai´rous') •n. any of a series of weather satellites for televising and transmitting pictures of the earth's cloud cover [T(elevision and) I(nfra-)R(ed) O(bservation) S(atellite)]
Tirso de Molina (tir´sou dei' mou li:´nэ) (pseud. of Gabriel Téllez) c. 1584-1648; Sp. dramatist
Tiruchirapalli (tir'э chir'э päl´i:, -pûl´i:) city in Tamil Nadu state, S India: pop. 363,000
'tis (tiz) [Old Poet.] it is
tisane (ti zæn´; Fr ti: zån´) •n. var. of PTISAN [ME < MFr: see PTISAN]
Tishah b'Av (ti: shä´ bэ äv´, tish´э böv') a Jewish fast day commemorating the destruction of the Temple, observed on the 9th day of Av [Heb tisha beav, ninth (day) of Av]
Tishri (tish ri:´, tish´ri:) •n. the first month of the Jewish year See JEWISH CALENDAR [Heb]
Tisiphone (ti sif´э ni:') Gr. & Rom. Myth. one of the three Furies [Gr Tisiphonē, lit., the avenger of blood < tisis, vengeance + phonos, bloodletting, murder < IE *gwhonos, a beating < base *gwhen-, to beat, strike]
tissue (tish´u:; chiefly Brit, tis´yu:) •n. 1 cloth; esp., light, thin cloth, as gauze 2 an interwoven or intricate mass or series; mesh; network; web {a tissue of lies} 3 a piece of soft, absorbent paper, used as a disposable handkerchief, as toilet paper, etc. 4 a) TISSUE PAPER b) a sheet of tissue paper 5 Biol. a) the substance of an organic body or organ, consisting of cells and intercellular material b) any of the distinct structural materials of an organism, having a particular function {epithelial tissue} •vt. -sued, -su·ing 1 to cover with tissue 2 [Archaic] to weave into tissue [ME tissu, rich cloth < OFr < pp. of tistre, to weave < L texere, to weave: see TEXT]
tissue culture 1 the process or technique of growing tissue artificially in a special, sterile culture medium 2 the tissue thus grown
tissue paper very thin, unsized, nearly transparent paper, as for wrapping things, making tracings, etc.
Tisza (ti:´sэ, -sä) river in E Europe, flowing from W Ukraine southwest through Hungary & Yugoslavia into the Danube: c. 800 mi. (1,287 km): Romanian name Ti·sa (ti:´sэ)
tit abbrev. title Tit Bible Titus
tit for tat this for that: phrase used when someone pays back one wrong or injury with another [var. of earlier tip for tap (Fr tant pour tant): see TIP²]
tit¹ (tit) •n. a titmouse or other small bird [TIT(MOUSE)]
tit² (tit) •n. 1 NIPPLE (sense 1) 2 a breast: in this sense now vulgar [ME titte < OE tit, TEAT]
tit³ (tit) •n. [Now Rare] a small, worn-out, or inferior horse [ME tit- in titmose, TITMOUSE, titling: prob. children's term for little, seen also in ON tītlingr, little bird, Norw titta, little girl]
Titan (tait´ªn) 1 old poet. name for HELIOS 2 the largest of the satellites of Saturn: the only one in the solar system known to have a permanent atmosphere •n. 1 Gr. Myth. any of a race of giant deities who are overthrown by the Olympian gods 2 [t-] any person or thing of great size or power Ti´tan·ess •n.fem. [ME < L < Gr (pl. Titanes)]
titanate (tait´ªn eit') •n. a salt or ester of titanic acid
Titania (ti tei´ni: э, tai-) Eng. Folklore the queen of fairyland and wife of Oberon
Titanic (tai tæn´ik) •adj. 1 of or like the Titans 2 [t-] of great size, strength, or power ti·tan´i·cal·ly •adv. [Gr Titanikos] titanic (tai tæn´ik, ti-) •adj. designating or of a chemical compound containing tetravalent titanium
titanic acid either of two weak acids, H2TiO3 or H4TiO4, derived from titanium dioxide
titaniferous (tait'ªn if´эr эs) •adj. containing titanium [TITANI(UM) + -FEROUS]
Titanism (tait´ªn iz'эm) •n. [also t-] a spirit of revolt or defiance, like that of the Titans, against the established order, social conventions, etc.
titanite (tait´ªn ait') •n. SPHENE [Ger titanit: see TITANIUM & -ITE¹]
titanium (tai tei´ni: эm, ti-) •n. a silvery or dark-gray, lustrous, metallic chemical element found in rutile and other minerals and used as a cleaning and deoxidizing agent in molten steel, and in the manufacture of aircraft, satellites, chemical equipment, etc.: symbol, Ti; at. wt., 47.90; at. no., 22; sp. gr., 4.5; melt. pt., 1,660°C; boil. pt., 3,287°C [ModL: arbitrary coinage (1796) by M. H. Klaproth (see TELLURIUM) for element discovered (1791) by William Gregor (1761-1817), Brit. mineralogist, and later by Klaproth < Gr Titanes, pl. of Titan, TITAN + -IUM, by analogy with URANIUM]
titanium dioxide a white crystalline compound, TiO2, used as a paint pigment and ceramic glaze, and in making white rubber, plastics, etc.: also titanium white or titanic oxide
Titanomachy (tait'ªn äm´э ki:) Gr. Myth. the war between the Titans and the Olympian gods [Gr Titanomachia: see TITAN & -MACHY]
titanosaur (tai tæn´э sör') •n. any of a genus (Titanosaurus) of large, plant-eating, amphibious sauropods of the Cretaceous [< ModL Titanosaurus: see TITAN & -SAURUS]
titanous (tai tæn´эs, ti-; tai´tªn эs) •adj. designating or of a chemical compound containing trivalent titanium
titbit (tit´bit') •n. chiefly Brit., etc. var. of TIDBIT
titer (tait´эr, ti:t´-) •n. Chem., Physiol. 1 a standard strength or degree of concentration of a solution as established through titration 2 the minimum weight or volume of a substance necessary to cause a given result in titration 3 the point at which a fatty acid solidifies after being liberated by hydrolysis, separated, and washed free of other products [Fr titre, standard, title < OFr title: see TITLE]
tithe (taið) •n. 1 one tenth of the annual produce of one's land or of one's annual income, paid as a tax or contribution to support a church or its clergy 2 a) a tenth part b) any small part 3 any tax or levy •vt. tithed, tith´ing [ME tithen < OE teothian < the n.] 1 to pay a tithe of (one's produce, income, etc.) 2 to levy a tithe on or collect a tithe from •vi. to pay a tithe tith´a·ble •adj. tith´er •n. [ME < OE teothe, contr. < teogotha, a TENTH]
tithing (taið´iŋ) •n. 1 a levying or paying of tithes 2 TITHE 3 [Historical] in England, a unit of civil administration orig. consisting of ten families [ME < OE teothung]
Tithonus (ti θou´nэs) Gr. Myth. the son of Laomedon and the lover of Eos: she obtains immortality for him but not eternal youth, so that he shrivels up and is turned into a grasshopper [L < Gr Tithōnos]
titi¹ (tait´ai, ti:t´i:) •n. a small tree (Cliftonia monophylla) of a family (Cyrillaceae, order Ericales) of evergreen, dicotyledonous trees and shrubs, with white or pinkish flowers, found in the S U.S. [< ?]
titi² (ti: ti:´) •n. any of a genus (Callicebus, family Cebidae) of South American monkeys with a small, round head [Sp tití < Aymara titi]
Titian (tish´эn) (It. name Tiziano Vecellio) c. 1490-1576; Venetian painter titian (tish´эn) •n. a color blending red and gold •adj. reddish-gold [from the color of the hair in many of TITIAN's portraits]
Titicaca (tit'i kä´kэ; Sp ti:'ti: kä´kä), Lake lake of South America, on the border of SE Peru & W Bolivia: c. 3,500 sq. mi. (9,064 sq. km); altitude, 12,500 ft. (3,810 m)
titillate (tit´ªl eit') -lat'ed, -lat'ing •vt. 1 TICKLE 2 to excite or stimulate pleasurably, often erotically tit´il·lat'er •n. tit'il·la´tion •n. tit´il·la'tive •adj. [< L titillatus, pp. of titillare, to tickle]
titivate (tit´э veit') -vat'ed, -vat'ing •vt., vi. to dress up; spruce up tit'i·va´tion •n. [earlier tidivate, tiddivate, prob. < TIDY, with quasi-Latin suffix]
titlark (tit´lärk') •n. PIPIT [TIT¹ + LARK¹]
title (tait´ªl) •n. 1 the name of a book, chapter, poem, essay, picture, statue, piece of music, play, movie, etc. 2 a) short for TITLE PAGE b) a literary work of a particular title {150 new titles in the publisher's fall catalog} 3 a descriptive name or appellation; epithet 4 an appellation given to a person or family as a sign of privilege, distinction, rank, or profession 5 a claim or right 6 Ch. of England a source of income or field of work required of a candidate for ordination 7 Law a) the name of a statute or act; also, the heading designating a legal proceeding b) a division of a law book, statute, etc., usually larger than a section or article c) a right to ownership, esp. of real estate d) evidence of such right of ownership e) a document stating such a right; deed 8 in sports and other competition, a championship 9 Film, TV words shown on the screen that give credit to someone for work done, translate a segment of foreign dialogue, etc.: usually used in pl. •vt. -tled, -tling to give a title to; designate by a specified name, or title; entitle [OFr < L titulus, inscription, label, title, sign]
title deed a document that establishes title to property
title page the page in the front of a book that gives the title, author, publisher, etc.
title role (or part or character) the character in a play, movie, etc. whose name is used as or in its title
titled (tait´ªld) •adj. having a title, esp. of nobility
titleholder (tait´ªl houl'dэr) •n. the holder of a title; specif.; the winner of a championship, as in some sport
titlist (tait´ªl ist) •n. a titleholder in some sport
titmouse (tit´maus') pl. -mice' (-mais') •n. any of a family (Paridae) of small passerine birds found throughout the world except in South America and Australia; esp., the tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor), with gray feathers and a prominent crest on the head, common in the E U.S. [altered, infl. by MOUSE < ME titemose, prob. < tit-, little + OE mase, titmouse, akin to Ger meise]
Tito (ti:´tou), Marshal (born Josip Broz) 1892-1980; Yugoslav Communist party leader: prime minister (1945-53) & president (1953-80) of Yugoslavia
Titograd (ti:t´ou græd', -gräd') name (1946-92) of PODGORICA
Titoism (-iz'эm) •n. the policies and practices of Yugoslavia under Marshal Tito; specif., the practice of nationalistic socialism independent of other socialist states and, specif., of the U.S.S.R. Ti´to·ist •adj., n.
titrate (tai´treit') -trat'ed, -trat'ing •vt., vi. to test by or be subjected to titration [< Fr titrer < titre (see TITER) + -ATE¹]
titration (tai trei´shэn) •n. Chem., Physiol. the process of finding out how much of a certain substance is contained in a known volume of a solution by measuring volumetrically how much of a standard solution is required to produce a given reaction [< prec. + -ION]
titre (tait´эr, ti:t´-) •n. Brit., etc. sp. TITER
tit-tat-toe (tit'tæt tou´) •n. var. of TICK-TACK-TOE
titter (tit´эr) •vi. to laugh in a half-suppressed way, suggestive of silliness, nervousness, etc.; giggle •n. the act or an instance of tittering SYN. LAUGH tit´ter·er •n. [of Gmc echoic orig.]
tittivate (tit´э veit') -vat'ed, -vat'ing •vt., vi. var. of TITIVATE
tittle (tit´ªl) •n. 1 a dot or other small mark used as a diacritic 2 a very small particle; iota; jot [ME title, orig. same word as TITLE]
tittle-tattle (tit´ªl tæt'ªl) -tled, -tling •n., vi. gossip; chatter [redupl. of TATTLE]
tittup (tit´эp) •n. a lively movement; frolicsome behavior; frisk; caper •vi. -tuped or -tupped, -tup·ing or -tup·ping to move in a frolicsome or prancing way; caper [prob. echoic of hoofbeats]
titty (tit´i:) pl. -ties •n. a teat or breast: now vulgar
titubation (tich'u: bei´shэn, ti'tyu:-) •n. a stumbling or staggering gait characteristic of certain nervous disorders [L titubatio, a staggering < titubare, to totter]
titular (tich´u: lэr, tich´э-; ti´tyu:-, -tyэ-) •adj. 1 of, or having the nature of, a title 2 having a title; titled 3 existing only in title; in name only; nominal {a titular sovereign} 4 from whom or which the title or name is taken 5 designating a bishop holding the title of an extinct see •n. a person who holds a title, esp. without any obligations of office tit´u·lar·ly •adv. [L titulus (see TITLE) + -AR]
Titus (tait´эs) 1 a masculine name 2 Bible a book of the New Testament, which was a letter of the Apostle Paul to his disciple Titus: abbrev. Tit or Ti 3 (Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus) A.D. 39-81; Rom. general & emperor (79-81): son of Vespasian [L]
Tiu (ti:´u:) Gmc. Myth. the god of war and the sky: identified with the Norse Tyr [OE Tiw, akin to OHG Ziu < IE *deiwos, god: see DEITY]
Tivoli (tiv´эl i:) 1 city in central Italy, near Rome: pop. 43,000 2 famous recreational & cultural garden center in Copenhagen, Denmark
tizzy (tiz´i:) pl. -zies •n. [Colloq.] a state of frenzied excitement, esp. over some trivial matter [< ?]
tko or TKO (ti:'kei'ou´) •n. Boxing technical knockout
tkt ticket
Tl Chem. symbol for thallium
Tlaxcala (tläs'käl´э) state of central Mexico: 1,555 sq. mi. (4,027 sq. km); pop. 557,000
TLC tender, loving care
Tlingit (tliŋ´git) •n. 1 pl. -gits or -git a member of a North American Indian people of the coastal areas of S Alaska and N British Columbia 2 the language of this people, now thought to be related to the Athabaskan languages [Tlingit lingít, lit., people]
Tm 1 Chem. symbol for thulium 2 Bible Timothy TM trademark
T-man (ti:´mæn') pl. T´-men' (-men') •n. [Colloq.] a special agent of the U.S. Department of the Treasury [< T(reasury)-man]
tmesis (tэ mi:´sis, mi:´sis) Rhetoric, Prosody separation of the parts of a compound word by an intervening word or words (Ex.: what person soever for whatsoever person) •n. [LL < Gr tmēsis, a cutting < temnein, to cut: see -TOMY]
tn 1 ton(s) 2 train TN Tennessee
tng training
TNT (ti:´en'ti:´) •n. TRINITROTOLUENE [t(ri)n(itro)t(oluene)]
to (tu:; unstressed, tu, tэ) •prep. 1 a) in the direction of; toward {turn to the left; traveling to Pittsburgh} b) in the direction of and reaching {he went to Boston; it dropped to the ground} 2 as far as {wet to the skin; a fight to the death} 3 a) toward or into a condition of {to grow to manhood; a rise to fame} b) so as to result in {sentenced to ten years in prison} 4 on, onto, against, at, next, etc.: used to indicate nearness or contact {to apply lotion to the skin; a house to the right} 5 a) until {no parking from four to six} b) before {the time is ten to six} 6 for the purpose of; for {come to dinner} 7 a) as concerns; in respect of; involving {that's all there is to it; open to attack} b) in the opinion of {it seems good to me} 8 producing, causing, or resulting in {to his amazement; torn to pieces} 9 along with; accompanied by; as an accompaniment for {add this to the others; dance to the music} 10 being the proper appurtenance, possession, or attribute of; of {the key to the house} 11 as compared with; as against {a score of 7 to 0; superior to the others} 12 a) in agreement, correspondence, or conformity with {not to one's taste} b) as a reaction or in response toward {the dog came to his whistle} 13 constituting; in or for each {four quarts to a gallon} 14 as far as the limit of {moderate to high in price} 15 with (a specified person or thing) as the recipient, or indirect object, of the action {listen to him; give the book to her} 16 in honor of {a toast to your success} 17 [Colloq. or Dial.] with {a field planted to corn} 18 [Dial.] at or in (a specified place) {he's to home} To is also used before a verb as a sign of the infinitive (Ex.: it was easy to read, to live is sweet) or, elliptically, to denote the infinitive (Ex.: tell him if you want to) •adv. 1 forward {his hat is on wrong side to} 2 in the normal or desired direction, position, or condition; esp., shut or closed {the door was blown to} 3 into a state of consciousness {the boxer came to} 4 at hand {we were close to when it happened} To is used in many idiomatic phrases entered in this dictionary under their key words (e.g., bring to, come to, go to) to and fro first in one direction and then in the opposite; back and forth [ME < OE, akin to Ger zu < IE *-dō-, up toward > L (quan)do, when, then, do(nec), until] to abbrev. turnover
to- (tu:, tu, tэ) prefix [Obs.] completely, entirely, severely: used with verbs as an intensive {to-broken means broken to pieces} [ME < OE, akin to Ger zer-, L dis-: see DIS-]
toad (toud) •n. 1 any of several families of tailless, leaping anuran amphibians (esp. family Bufonidae) with a rough, warty skin: normally they eat insects and live on moist land but when breeding they live in water 2 a person regarded as loathsome, contemptible, etc. [ME tode, var. of tadde < OE tadde, tadige]
toad spit (or spittle) CUCKOO SPIT (sense 1)
toadeater (-i:t'эr) •n. TOADY
toadfish (toud´fish') pl. (see FISH) -fish' •n.or -fish'es any of an order (Batrachoidiformes) of scaleless bony fishes with a broad, froglike head, found in shallows off the Atlantic coast of North America
toadflax (toud´flæks') •n. BUTTER-AND-EGGS [from the spotted and flaxlike appearance of the parts]
toadstone (toud´stoun') •n. any stone or similar object formerly thought to have been formed inside a toad's head or body and often worn as a charm [TOAD + STONE, based on L or Gr batrachitēs or MFr crapaudine]
toadstool (toud´stu:l') •n. any of a number of fleshy, umbrella-shaped, basidiomycetous fungi; mushroom; esp., in popular usage, any poisonous mushroom [ME todestole: see TOAD & STOOL]
toady (toud´i:) pl. toad´ies •n. a servile flatterer; sycophant, esp. one who does distasteful or unprincipled things in order to gain favor •vt., vi. toad´ied, toad´y·ing to be a toady (to); flatter toad´y·ism' •n. [short for TOADEATER, quack doctor's assistant who pretended to eat toads (thought to be poisonous) to show the efficacy of quack medicines]
to-and-fro (tu:´эn frou´) •adj. moving forward and backward; back-and-forth [ME]
toast¹ (toust) •vt. 1 to brown the surface of (bread, cheese, etc.) by heating in a toaster, over or near a fire, or in an oven 2 to warm thoroughly {toast yourselves by the fire} •vi. to become toasted •n. sliced bread made brown and crisp by heat [ME tosten < OFr toster < VL *tostare < L tostus, pp. of torrere, to parch, roast: see THIRST]
toast² (toust) •n. 1 a person, thing, idea, etc. in honor of which a person or persons raise their glasses and drink 2 a) a proposal to drink to such a person, etc., or a sentiment expressed just before so drinking b) such a drink 3 any person greatly admired or acclaimed •vt., vi. to propose or drink a toast (to) [from the use of toasted spiced bread to flavor the wine, and the notion that the person honored also added flavor]
toaster¹ (tous´tэr) •n. any of various utensils or appliances for toasting bread
toaster² (tous´tэr) •n. a person who proposes or drinks a toast
toastmaster (toust´mæs'tэr) •n. the person at a banquet who proposes toasts, introduces after-dinner speakers, etc. toast´mis'tress (-mis'tris) •n.fem.
toasty (tous´ti:) toast´i·er, toast´i·est •adj. 1 of or characteristic of toast 2 warm and comfortable or cozy •adv. cozily {toasty warm}
Tob Tobit
tobacco (tэ bæk´ou) pl. -cos •n. 1 any of a genus (Nicotiana) of chiefly tropical American plants of the nightshade family, with hairy, sticky foliage and long-tubed, white, yellow, greenish, or purple flowers; esp., the species (N. tabacum) now widely cultivated for its leaves 2 the leaves of certain of these plants, prepared for smoking, chewing, or snuffing 3 products prepared from these leaves; cigars, cigarettes, snuff, etc. 4 the use of tobacco for smoking, etc. [Sp tabaco < ?; perhaps an old Sp name transferred to the New World plant]
tobacco hornworm a hawk moth (Manduca sexta) whose large, green caterpillar feeds on the leaves of tobacco plants
tobacconist (tэ bæk´э nist) •n. [Chiefly Brit., etc.] a dealer in tobacco and other smoking supplies [TOBACCO + -n- + -IST: orig. applied to a user of tobacco]
Tobago (tou bei´gou, tэ-) island in the West Indies, northeast of Trinidad: 116 sq. mi. (300 sq. km); pop. 40,000: see TRINIDAD
Tobias (tou bai´эs, tэ-) 1 a masculine name: dim. Toby: var. Tobiah 2 TOBIT [LL(Ec) < Gr(Ec) Tōbias < Heb toviya, lit., God is good < tov, good + ya, God]
Tobin (tou´bin), James 1918- ; U.S. economist
Tobit (tou´bit) 1 a Hebrew captive in Nineveh 2 a book of the Apocrypha telling his story: abbrev. Tob or Tb
toboggan (tэ bäg´эn) •n. a long, narrow, flat sled without runners, made of thin boards curved back at the front end and often having side rails: often used for the sport of coasting down a prepared slope or chute •vi. 1 to coast, travel, etc. on a toboggan 2 to decline rapidly {prices tobogganed} to·bog´gan·er or to·bog´gan·ist •n. [CdnFr tabagan, tobagan < an Algonquian language: cf. Micmac topaGan]
Tobol (tou´böl', tou böl´; Russ tô bôl´yэ) river in W Siberia, flowing from the S Urals into the Irtysh: 1,042 mi. (1,676 km)
Toby (tou´bi:) pl. -bies a jug or mug for ale or beer, shaped like a stout man with a three-cornered hat Also Toby jug •n. [< Toby, dim. of TOBIAS]
Tocantins (tou'kэn ti:ns´; Port tô'käñ ti:ñsh´, -ti:ñs´) river flowing from central Brazil north into the Pará River: c. 1,700 mi. (2,735 km)
toccata (tэ kät´э) •n. a composition in free style for the organ, piano, etc., generally characterized by the use of full chords and running passages and often used as the prelude of a fugue [It, orig. fem. of pp. of toccare < VL, to TOUCH]
Tocharian (tou ker´i: эn, -kær´-, -kär´-) •n. 1 a member of a people living in central Asia until about 1000 A.D. 2 their extinct Indo-European language, comprising two major dialects: the earliest record known is from the 7th cent. A.D. •adj. of the Tocharians or their language [formerly identified with Gr Tocharoi, a central Asian people mentioned by STRABO]
tocology (tou käl´э ji:) •n. OBSTETRICS [< Gr tokos, childbirth < tiktein, to bear + -LOGY]
tocopherol (tou käf´эr öl, -oul') •n. any of a group of four closely related viscous oils that constitute vitamin E and occur chiefly in wheat germ oil, cottonseed oil, lettuce, etc. [< Gr tokos (see TOCOLOGY) + pherein, to BEAR¹ + -OL¹]
Tocqueville (touk´vil'; Fr tôk vi:l´), A·le·xis (Charles Henri Maurice Clérel) de (å lek si:´ dэ) 1805-59; Fr. author & statesman
tocsin (täk´sin) •n. 1 a) an alarm bell b) its sound 2 any alarm, or sound of warning [Fr < MFr touquesain < Prov tocasenh < toc, a stroke < tocar (< VL *toccare, to TOUCH) + senh, bell < LL signum, a signal, bell < L, a SIGN]
tod¹ (täd) •n. 1 a former English weight for wool, about 28 pounds 2 a bushy clump of ivy, etc. [ME todde, prob. < LowG source, as in EFris todde, tod, a bundle, pack, load, akin to Ger zotte, tuft of hair < IE *det- < base *dā(i)-, to divide > TIDE¹]
tod² (täd) •n. [Scot.] a fox [ME < ?]
today (tэ dei´, tu-, tu:-) •adv. 1 on or during the present day 2 in the present time or age; nowadays •n. 1 the present day 2 the present time or period Also, esp. formerly, to-day [ME to dai < OE to dæg: see TO & DAY]
Todd (täd) 1 a masculine name 2 Baron Alexander (Robertus) 1907- ; Brit. organic chemist
toddle (täd´ªl) -dled, -dling •vi. to walk with short, uncertain steps, as in very early childhood •n. the act of toddling or a toddling movement tod´dler •n. [? freq. of TOTTER, via N dial. doddle < ?]
toddy (täd´i:) pl. -dies •n. 1 a) the sweet sap of various East Indian palms, used as a beverage b) an alcoholic liquor made by fermenting this sap 2 a drink of brandy, whiskey, etc. with hot water, sugar, and often spices: also hot toddy [Anglo-Ind < Hindi tārī, fermented sap of palmyra tree < tār, palm tree < Sans tāla, palmyra]
toddy palm any of several palms (esp. genera Arenga, Borassus, Phoenix, and Cocos) yielding toddy
to-do (tэ du:´, tu-) pl. -dos •n. [Colloq.] a commotion; stir; fuss
tody (tou´di:) pl. -dies •n. any of a family (Todidae) of small, insect-eating coraciiform birds of the West Indies with green upper parts and a red throat [Fr todier < L todus, small bird]
toe (tou) •n. 1 a) any of the five jointed sets of bones at the front of the human foot; digit b) the forepart of the human foot c) the part of a shoe, sock, etc. that covers the toes 2 any of the digits of an animal's foot, or the forepart of a hoof, etc. 3 anything suggesting a toe in location, shape, or function; specif., a) a pivot or journal extending vertically in a bearing b) a projecting arm raised or moved by a cam •vt. toed, toe´ing 1 to provide with a toe or toes 2 to touch, kick, etc. with the toes {to toe a starting line} 3 Carpentry a) to drive (a nail) slantingly b) to clinch or fasten with nails driven slantingly; toenail •vi. Æ to stand, walk, or be formed so that the toes are in a specified position {to toe in or toe out} on one's toes [Colloq.] mentally or physically alert step (or tread) on someone's toes to offend someone, esp. by trespassing or intruding on prerogatives or rights toe the line (or mark) 1 to stand or crouch with the toes touching the starting line of a race, etc. 2 to follow orders, rules, doctrines, etc. strictly [ME to < OE ta, earlier tahe, akin to Ger zehe < IE base *dei-, to show > TEACH, L dicere, to say, digitus]
toe crack a lesion (quarter, or sand, crack) in the front part of a horse's hoof
toe dance a dance performed on the tips of the toes, as in ballet toe´-dance', -danced', -danc'ing, •vi. toe´-danc'er •n.
toea (tou´ä) pl. toe´a •n. a monetary unit of Papua New Guinea, equal to ¹/100 of a kina [Papuan, a piece of shell money]
toecap (tou´kæp') •n. that part of a shoe or boot which covers the toes
toed (toud) •adj. 1 having (a specified kind or number of) toes: usually in hyphenated compounds {three-toed} 2 a) driven slantingly (said of a nail) b) fastened by nails driven slantingly
toehold (tou´hould') •n. 1 a small space or ledge for supporting the toe of the foot in climbing, etc. 2 any means of surmounting obstacles, gaining entry, etc. 3 a slight footing or advantage 4 Wrestling a hold in which one wrestler twists the other's foot
toe-in (tou´in') •n. nearly parallel alignment of the front wheels of a motor vehicle such that the front edges are slightly closer together and so provide necessary tension on the steering linkage
toeless (tou´lis) •adj. 1 having no toe or toes 2 having the toe open or uncovered {a toeless shoe}
toenail (tou´neil') •n. 1 the nail of a toe 2 Carpentry a nail driven slantingly, as through the side of a vertical plank to fasten it to the horizontal plank on which it is based •vt. Carpentry to fasten with a toenail
toff (täf, töf) •n. [Old Brit. Slang] a fashionable, upper-class person; esp., a dandy [< toft, var. of TUFT, slang term for titled undergraduate, in reference to gold tassel on the caps of aristocratic students]
toffee or toffy (töf´i:, täf´-) •n. a hard, chewy candy made with brown sugar or molasses and butter, often coated with nuts; kind of taffy [later Brit form of TAFFY]
toft (täft, töft) •n. 1 [Brit. Historical] a) orig., a house site b) a homestead with its arable land 2 [Brit. Dial.] a knoll [ME < Late OE < ON topt, a homestead, ground marked out for building < IE *dom-ped-, house site < base *dem-, to build (> TIMBER) + *ped-, FOOT]
tofu (tou´fu:) •n. a bland, cheeselike food, rich in protein, coagulated from an extract of soybeans and used in soups, in various cooked dishes, etc. [SinoJpn tōfu < tō, bean + fu, rot]
tog (täg, tög) •n. 1 [Old Slang] a coat 2 [pl.] [Colloq.] clothes; outfit {tennis togs} •vt., vi. togged, tog´ging [Colloq.] to dress: usually with up or out [prob. < cant togeman(s), togman, a cloak, coat, ult. < L toga, fol.]
toga (tou´gэ) pl. -gas or -gae (-ji:, -gi:) •n. 1 in ancient Rome, a loose, one-piece outer garment worn in public by citizens 2 a robe of office; characteristic gown of a profession [L < tegere, to cover: see THATCH]
toga virilis (tou´gэ vi rai´lis) the toga of manhood, put on by boys of ancient Rome in their fourteenth year [L, toga of a man]
togaed (tou´gэd) •adj. wearing a toga
together (tu geð´эr, tэ-) •adv. 1 in or into one gathering, group, mass, or place {a reunion to bring the family together} 2 in or into contact, collision, union, etc. with each other {the cars skidded together} 3 considered collectively; added up {winning more than all the others together} 4 a) with one another; in association or companionship {to spend a week together} b) by joint effort {together they were able to lift the sofa} 5 at the same time; simultaneously {shots fired together} 6 in succession; continuously {sulking for three whole days together} 7 in or into agreement, cooperation, etc. {to get together on a deal} 8 in or into a unified whole Together is also used colloquially as an intensive, as after add, join, etc. •adj. 1 in the same place; with one another; not apart {the family will be together for the holidays} Æ 2 [Slang] having fully developed one's abilities, ambitions, etc.; having an integrated personality together with in addition to [ME togeder < OE togædre, togadere < to (see TO) + gædre, together < base of gaderian (see GATHER)]
togetherness (-nis) •n. the spending of much time together, as in social and leisure-time activities by the members of a family, esp. when regarded as resulting in a more unified, stable relationship
toggle (täg´эl) •n. 1 a rod, pin, or bolt for insertion between the strands or through a loop of a rope, through a link of a chain, etc. to make an attachment, prevent slipping, or tighten by twisting: see BOLT¹, illus. 2 a toggle joint or a device having one •vt. -gled, -gling to provide or fasten with a toggle or toggles [prob. naut. var. of dial. tuggle, freq. of TUG]
toggle joint a knee-shaped joint consisting of two bars pivoted together at one end: when pressure is put on the joint to straighten it, opposite, outward pressures are transmitted to the open ends
toggle switch a switch consisting of a projecting lever moved back and forth through a small arc to open and close an electric circuit
Togliatti (toul yät´i:) city in SE European Russia, near Samara: pop. 594,000 [after P. Togliatti (1893-1964), It communist leader]
Togo (tou´gou) country in W Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea, east of Ghana: a former French mandate, it became independent (1960): 21,853 sq. mi. (56,560 sq. km); pop. 2,700,000; cap. Lomé To'go·lese´ (-li:z´, -li:s´), pl. -lese´, •adj., n.
Togoland (tou´gou lænd') former German protectorate (until 1919); it was divided between France & Great Britain: the British part is now part of Ghana (since 1957), & the French part is now Togo (since 1958)
toil¹ (toil) •vi. 1 to work hard and continuously; labor 2 to proceed laboriously; advance or move with painful effort or difficulty {to toil up a mountain} •vt. [Now Rare] to make or accomplish with great effort •n. [ME toile < Anglo-Fr toil < OFr toeil, turmoil, struggle < the v.] 1 orig., contention; struggle; strife 2 hard, exhausting work or effort; tiring labor 3 a task performed by such effort toil´er •n. [ME toilen < Anglo-Fr toiler, to strive, dispute < OFr toeillier, to pull about, begrime < L tudiculare, to stir about < tudicula, small machine for bruising olives < tudes, mallet < base of tundere, to beat < IE base *(s)teu- > STOCK, STUB]
toil² (toil) •n. 1 [Archaic] a net for trapping 2 [pl.] any snare suggestive of a net [OFr toile, a net, web, cloth < L tela, web, woven material < base of texere: see TEXT]
toile (twäl) •n. a sheer linen or cotton fabric [Fr: see TOIL2]
toilet (toi´lit) •n. 1 [Obs.] a dressing table 2 the process of dressing or grooming oneself, esp., of dressing one's hair 3 toilette; dress; attire; costume Æ 4 a) a room, shelter, etc. for defecation or urination; specif., a small room with a bowl-shaped fixture for this purpose, fitted with a device for flushing with water b) such a fixture 5 the cleaning and dressing of a wound, esp. in surgery •adj. 1 of or for dressing or grooming oneself {toilet articles} Æ 2 for a TOILET (n. 4b) {a toilet brush} [MFr toilette, orig., cloth covering used in shaving or hairdressing < OFr toile, cloth: see TOIL²]
toilet paper (or tissue) soft, absorbent paper, usually in a roll, for use in cleaning oneself after evacuation
toilet training the training of a young child to control defecation and urination
toilet water a lightly scented liquid with a high alcohol content, applied to the skin after bathing, etc. or added to bath water
toiletry (toi´lэ tri:) pl. -ries •n. soap, lotion, cologne, etc. used in cleaning and grooming oneself
toilette (twä let´, toi-) •n. 1 the process of grooming and dressing oneself 2 dress; attire [Fr: see TOILET]
toilful (toil´fэl) •adj. full of toil; laborious
toilsome (-sэm) •adj. requiring or involving toil; laborious toil´some·ly •adv. toil´some·ness •n. [see -SOME¹]
toilworn (-wörn') •adj. showing the effects of toil
to-ing and fro-ing (tu:´iŋ эn frou´iŋ) movement to and fro, vacillation back and forth, etc.
Tojo (tou´jo), Hi·de·ki (hi:´de ki:') 1884-1948; Jpn. general & statesman: prime minister (1941-44)
tokamak (tou´kэ mæk') •n. a reactor designed to control nuclear fusion in a plasma of ions and electrons inside a doughnut-shaped, or toroidal, magnetic bottle [< Russ acronym for a toroidal magnetic chamber]
Tokay (tou kei´) •n. 1 a sweet or dry wine made in the vicinity of Tokay, a town in NE Hungary 2 an unrelated sweet wine of California 3 a large, sweet grape used for the Hungarian wine
toke (touk) •n. Æ [Slang] a puff on a cigarette, esp. one of marijuana or hashish Æ toked, tok´ing •vi. [Slang] to take such a puff tok´er •n. [? < fol.]
token (tou´kэn) •n. 1 a sign, indication, or symbol {a token of one's affection} 2 something serving as a sign of authority, identity, genuineness, etc. 3 a distinguishing mark or feature 4 a) a keepsake b) a sample 5 a piece of stamped metal, etc. with a face value higher than its real value, issued as a substitute for currency, for use as fare on a transportation line, etc. 6 a person, as an employee, whose presence in a group is supposed to indicate absence of discrimination, as in race •vt. to be a token of; symbolize •adj. 1 by way of a token, symbol, etc. {a token gesture} 2 merely simulated; slight or of no real account {token resistance} SYN. PLEDGE by the same token for this reason; following the same line of reasoning in token of as evidence of [ME < OE tacn, akin to Ger zeichen < IE base *dei-, to point, show > TEACH, TOE, DIGIT, DICTION]
token payment a partial payment made as a token of intention to pay the remainder of the debt later
tokenism (-iz'эm) •n. 1 a show of accommodation to a demand, principle, etc. by small, often merely formal concessions to it Æ 2 token integration of blacks, as in schools, jobs, etc.
Tokharian (tou ker´i: эn, -kær´-, -kär´-) alt. sp. of TOCHARIAN Also To·khar´ic (-ik) •n., adj.
tokonoma (tou'kэ nou´mэ) •n. a wall niche in a Japanese home for displaying a kakemono, flowers, etc. [Jpn < toko, raised floor for flower displays, etc. + no, attributive suffix + ma, space, room]
Tokugawa (tou'ku: gä´wä) Japanese noble family that held the shogunate and exercised control over Japan and its emperors (1603-1867)
Tokushima (tou'ku: shi:´mэ) seaport in E Shikoku, Japan, on the Inland Sea: pop. 252,000
Tokyo (tou´ki: ou') capital of Japan: seaport on an inlet (Tokyo Bay) of the Pacific, on S Honshu: pop. 8,991,000 (met. area 11,620,000) To´ky·o·ite' (-ait') •n.
tola (tou´lä) •n. in India, a unit of weight equal to 180 grains troy (the weight of one silver rupee) [Hindi < Sans tulā, a balance]
tolan (tou´læn') •n. a colorless, crystalline hydrocarbon, C6H5C:CC6H5, used chiefly in organic synthesis [TOL(UENE) + -AN(E)]
tolar (tou´lär) •n. the basic monetary unit of Slovenia: see MONEY, table
tolbooth (toul´bu:θ') •n. TOLLBOOTH [ME tolbothe, booth where toll is collected: see TOLL¹ & BOOTH]
tolbutamide (täl byu:t´э maid') •n. an oral drug, C12H18N2O3S, that releases insulin from the pancreas: used to treat diabetes [TOL(U) + BUT(YRIC) + AMIDE]
told (tould) •vt., vi. pt. & pp. of TELL¹ all told all (being) counted; in all {there were forty all told}
tole¹ (toul) toled, tol´ing •vt. [Now Chiefly Dial.] to allure; entice [var. of TOLL²]
tole² (toul) •n. a type of lacquered or enameled metalware popular in the 18th cent. and reproduced today for trays, lamps, etc.: it is commonly dark-green, ivory, or black [Fr tôle, sheet iron, plate < taule, dial. var. of table: see TABLE]
Toledo (tэ li:d´ou; for 2, also Sp tô lei´ðô) 1 city & port in NW Ohio, on Lake Erie: pop. 333,000 (met. area 614,000) [after the city in Spain] 2 city in central Spain, on the Tagus River: pop. 44,000 •n. pl. -dos a fine-tempered sword or sword blade made in Toledo, Spain
tolerable (täl´эr э bэl) •adj. 1 that can be tolerated; endurable 2 fairly good; passable 3 [Colloq.] in reasonably good health tol'er·a·bil´i·ty •n. tol´er·a·bly •adv. [ME tollerabill < MFr tolérable < L tolerabilis]
tolerance (täl´эr эns) •n. 1 a) a tolerating or being tolerant, esp. of views, beliefs, practices, etc. of others that differ from one's own b) freedom from bigotry or prejudice 2 the amount of variation allowed from a standard, accuracy, etc.; specif., a) the amount that coins are legally allowed to vary from a standard of weight, fineness, etc. b) the difference between the allowable maximum and minimum sizes of some mechanical part, as a basis for determining the accuracy of a fitting 3 the ability to endure 4 Med. the natural or developed ability to resist the effects of the continued or increasing use of a drug, etc. [ME tolleraunce < MFr tolerance < L tolerantia]
tolerant (täl´эr эnt) •adj. 1 having or showing tolerance of others' beliefs, practices, etc. 2 Med. of or having tolerance tol´er·ant·ly •adv. [L tolerans, prp.: see TOLERATE]
tolerate (täl´эr eit') -at'ed, -at'ing •vt. 1 to not interfere with; allow; permit {to tolerate heresy} 2 to recognize and respect (others' beliefs, practices, etc.) without sharing them 3 to bear, or put up with (someone or something not especially liked) 4 Med. to have tolerance for (a specific drug, etc.) SYN. BEAR¹ tol´er·a'tive •adj. tol´er·a'tor •n. [< L toleratus, pp. of tolerare, to bear, sustain, tolerate < IE base *tel-, to lift up, bear > THOLE², TALENT, L tollere, to lift up]
toleration (täl'эr ei´shэn) •n. 1 the act or an instance of tolerating 2 tolerance; esp., freedom to hold religious views that differ from the established ones tol'er·a´tion·ist •n. [Fr tolération < L toleratio]
tolidine (täl´э di:n', -din) •n. any of a group of isomeric dimethyl derivatives of benzidine, C14H16N2, used in the manufacture of dyes and in the detection of gold and chlorine [TOL(UOL) + (BENZ)IDINE]
Tolima (tэ li:´mэ; Sp tô li:´mä) volcanic mountain of the Andes, in WC Colombia: 16,207 ft. (4,940 m)
Tolkien (täl´ki:n'), J(ohn) R(onald) R(euel) 1892-1973; Eng. novelist, scholar, & linguist
toll bar a bar, gate, etc. for stopping travel at a point where tolls are taken
toll bridge a bridge at which tolls are paid for passage
toll call a long-distance telephone call, for which there is a charge beyond the local rate
toll road a road for travel on which tolls must be paid Also toll´way' (-wei') •n.
toll¹ (toul) •n. 1 a tax or charge for a privilege, esp. for permission to pass over a bridge, along a highway, etc. 2 a charge for service or extra service, as for transportation, for a long-distance telephone call, or, formerly, for having one's grain milled 3 the number lost, taken, exacted, etc.; exaction {the tornado took a heavy toll of lives} •vi. [Now Rare] to collect a toll or tolls •vt. [Now Rare] 1 to take or gather as a toll 2 to impose a toll on [ME < OE, akin to Ger zoll, ON tollr < MLowG tol < ML tolneum < VL *toloneum, toll(house), for L teloneum < Gr telōnion < telōnēs, tax collector < telos, tax, akin to tlēnai, to support, bear: for IE base see TOLERATE]
toll² (toul) •vt. 1 [Now Chiefly Dial.] to allure or entice; esp., to decoy (game, etc.) 2 a) to ring (a church bell, etc.) slowly with regularly repeated strokes, esp. for announcing a death b) to sound (the hour, a knell, etc.) by this c) to announce, summon, or dismiss by this d) to announce the death of (someone) in this way •vi. to sound or ring slowly in regularly repeated strokes: said of a bell •n. 1 the act of tolling a bell 2 the sound of a bell tolling 3 a single stroke of the bell toll´er •n. [ME tollen, to pull, ? akin to OE -tyllan, to mislead < IE base *del- > TALE]
tollage (toul´ij) •n. 1 toll, or tax 2 payment or demand of toll
tollbooth (toul´bu:θ') •n. 1 [Now Chiefly Scot.] a) a town hall b) a jail or prison Æ 2 a booth at which tolls are collected, as at the entrance to a toll road
tollgate (toul´geit') •n. a gate for stopping travel at a point where tolls are taken
tollhouse (-haus') •n. 1 a house at a tollgate, in which the tollkeeper lives 2 a booth, etc. where tolls are taken
tollhouse cookie a kind of chocolate chip cookie [made with a recipe used at the Toll House in Whitman, Mass., near Brockton]
tollkeeper (-ki:´pэr) •n. a collector of tolls at a tollgate
Tolstoy or Tolstoi (täl´stoi', toul´-; Russ tôl stoi´), Count Leo Ni·ko·la·ye·vich (ni:'kô lä´ye vich') 1828-1910; Russ. novelist & social theoretician: Russ. given name Lev
Toltec (täl´tek', toul´-) •n. a member of an ancient Amerindian people that lived in Mexico before the Aztecs •adj. of the Toltecs or their culture: also Tol´tec'an [MexSp Tolteca < Nahuatl toltekaλ, lit., person from tollan, Tula (ancient Toltec city) < tolin, cattail]
tolu (tou lu:´) •n. a fragrant gum obtained from the bark of a leguminous South American tree (Myroxylon balsamum), used in cough mixtures, flavorings, perfumes, etc. Also tolu balsam [Sp tolú, after Tolú, Caribbean seaport in Colombia]
tolu tree the tree that yields tolu
toluate (täl´yu: eit') •n. a salt or ester of toluic acid
Toluca (tэ lu:´kэ; Sp tô lu:´kä) 1 city in S Mexico; capital of Mexico state: pop. 357,000: in full Toluca de Lerido 2 volcanic mountain near this city: 15,020 ft. (4,578 m)
toluene (täl´yu: i:n') •n. a colorless, liquid, flammable, poisonous hydrocarbon, C6H5CH3, obtained originally from balsam of Tolu but now generally from coal tar or petroleum, and used in making dyes, explosives, etc. and as a solvent [TOLU + (BENZ)ENE]
toluic acid (tou lu:´ik, täl´yu: ik) any of four isomeric acids, C6H4CH3COOH, carboxyl derivatives of toluene, used in the manufacture of various resins, in organic synthesis, etc.
toluide (täl´yu: aid') •n. any of a class of chemical compounds having the general formula RCONHC6H4CH3, derived from the toluidines by the substitution of an acid radical for one of the amino H atoms Also to·lu·i·dide (tэ lu:´i daid')
toluidine (tou lu:´э di:n', -din) •n. any of three isomeric amino derivatives, CH3C6H4NH2, of toluene, used in organic synthesis, in dyes, as a test reagent, etc.
toluidine blue a dark green powder, C15H16N3SCl·ZnCl2, used in dyeing textiles, as a biological stain, as a coagulant in medicine, etc.
toluol (täl´yu: öl', -oul') •n. toluene; esp., crude commercial toluene [TOLU + -OL¹]
toluyl (täl´yu: il) •n. the monovalent radical CH3C6H5CO [TOLU(IC ACID) + -YL]
tolyl (täl´il) •n. the monovalent radical CH3C6H4, derived from toluene [TOL(UIC ACID) + -YL]
tom (täm) •n. the male of some animals, esp. of the cat •adj. male {a tom turkey} Sometimes used in compounds, occasionally with derived senses, as tomcod [< Tom, dim. of THOMAS, esp. infl. by TOMCAT, earlier Tom the Cat (c. 1760): cf. similar use of JACK] Tom (täm) •n. Æ [Colloq.] UNCLE TOM Æ Tommed, Tom´ming •vi. [also t-] [Colloq.] to behave like an Uncle Tom: an offensive term of contempt
Tom and Jerry (täm' эn jer´i:) Æ a hot drink made of rum and brandy or whiskey, beaten eggs, sugar, water or milk, and nutmeg [after two characters in Egan's Life in London (1821)]
Tom Collins see COLLINS
Tom Thumb a tiny hero of many English folk tales
Tom, Dick, and Harry everyone or anyone; people taken at random: usually preceded by every and used disparagingly
tomahawk (täm´э hök') •n. a light ax, typically having a stone or bone head, used by North American Indians as a tool and a weapon •vt. to hit, cut, or kill with a tomahawk bury the tomahawk to stop fighting; make peace [Virginia (Algonquian) tamahaac, lit., tool for cutting off]
tomalley (täm´æl'i:) •n. the liver of the lobster, which turns green when boiled and is considered a delicacy [Carib taumali]
tomatillo (tou'mэ ti:´ou) pl. -los •n. 1 a small, round fruit with a papery husk, used as a vegetable in Mexican cooking: yellow to purple when ripe, but cooked when green 2 the plant (Physalis ixocarpa) on which this fruit grows [AmSp, dim of tomate, TOMATO]
tomato (tэ meit´ou, -mät´ou) pl. -toes •n. 1 a red or yellowish fruit with a juicy pulp, used as a vegetable: botanically it is a berry 2 the annual plant (Lycopersicon esculentum) of the nightshade family, on which this berry grows Æ 3 [Old Slang] an attractive young woman [Sp tomate < Nahuatl tomaλ]
tomato hornworm a hawk moth (Manduca quinquemaculata) whose large, green caterpillar feeds on tomato plants
tomb (tu:m) •n. 1 a vault, chamber, or grave for the dead 2 a burial monument or cenotaph •vt. [Rare] to entomb the tomb death tomb´less •adj. tomb´like' •adj. [ME toumbe < Anglo-Fr tumbe (OFr tombe) < LL(Ec) tumba < Gr tymbos, tomb, funeral mound < IE *tu-, var. of base *teu-, to swell > THUMB, TUMOR]
tombac or tombak (täm´bæk') •n. any of several alloys of copper and zinc, used in making cheap jewelry [Fr tombac < Port tambaca < Malay tembaga, brass or copper < Sans tamrka, lit., dark metal < tāmrá-, dark red < IE *temsro- < base *tem-, dark > TEMERITY]
Tombaugh (täm´bö'), Clyde William 1906- ; U.S. astronomer: discovered Pluto (1930)
Tombigbee (täm big´bi:) river flowing from NE Miss. through Ala., joining the Alabama River to form the Mobile River: 409 mi. (658 km) [< Choctaw, coffin maker < itombi, box, coffin + ikbi, maker: referring to burial boxes used by Choctaws]
tombola (täm bou´lэ, täm´bэ lэ) •n. a British gambling game somewhat like bingo [It, prob. < tombolare, to tumble]
tombolo (täm´bэ lou') pl. -los' •n. a bar of sand or other sediment tying an island to the mainland or another island [It < L tumulus, a mound: see TUMULUS]
Tombouctou (toun'buk tu:´; Fr touñ bu:k tu:´) town in central Mali, near the Niger River: pop. 21,000
tomboy (täm´boi') •n. a girl who behaves or plays like an active boy; hoyden tom´boy'ish •adj. tom´boy'ish·ly •adv. tom´boy'ish·ness •n. [see TOM]
tombstone (tu:m´stoun') •n. a stone or monument, usually with an engraved inscription, marking a tomb or grave
tomcat (täm´kæt') •n. a male cat •vi. -cat'ted, -cat'ting [Slang] to be sexually promiscuous: said of a man [see TOM]
tomcod (-käd') •n. any of a genus (Microgadus) of small, marine, gadoid food fishes [see TOM]
tome (toum) •n. 1 orig., any volume of a work of several volumes 2 a book, esp. a large, scholarly or ponderous one [Fr < L tomus < Gr tomos, piece cut off, hence part of a book, volume < temnein, to cut: see -TOMY]
-tome (toum) combining form 1 cutting instrument {microtome} 2 section, division {dermatome} [Gr < tomon < tomos: see TOME]
tomentose (tou men´tous', tou´mэn tous') •adj. Biol. covered with a dense layer of short, matted, woolly hairs [ModL tomentosus < L tomentum: see TOMENTUM]
tomentum (tou men´tэm) pl. -ta (-tэ) •n. 1 a growth of short, matted, woolly hairs, as on the stems or leaves of some plants 2 a network of very small blood vessels in the pia mater and the cortex of the cerebrum [ModL < L, a stuffing (of hair, wool, etc.): for IE base see THUMB]
tomfool (täm´fu:l´) •n. a foolish, stupid, or silly person •adj. foolish, stupid, or silly [earlier Tom Fool, as in Tom o'Bedlam, poor Tom, names formerly applied to the demented and retarded]
tomfoolery (täm'fu:l´эr i:) pl. -er·ies •n. foolish behavior; silliness; nonsense [see TOMFOOL + -ERY]
-tomic (täm´ik) combining form of or relating to cutting, division, sections, etc.
Tommy (täm´i:) pl. -mies •n. [also t-] [Brit. Colloq.] a private in the British army [clipped from Tommy Atkins (for Thomas Atkins, fictitious name used in Brit army sample forms]
tommy gun [sometimes T- g-] a submachine gun
tommyrot (täm´i: rät') •n. [Slang] nonsense; foolishness; rubbish [< the nickname Tommy, in dial. sense of fool (see TOMFOOL) + ROT]
tomogram (tou´mou græm', -mэ-) •n. an X-ray photograph taken by tomography
tomography (tou mäg´rэ fi:) •n. a technique of X-ray photography by which a single plane is photographed, with the outline of structures in other planes eliminated [< Gr tomos, a piece cut off (see -TOMY) + -GRAPHY]
tomorrow (tэ mär´ou, tu-, tu:-; -mör´ou) •adv. 1 on or during the day after today 2 at some time in the indefinite future •n. 1 the day after today 2 some time in the indefinite future •adj. of tomorrow {tomorrow morning} [ME to morwe < to morwen < OE to morgen: see TO & MORNING]
tompion (täm´pi: эn) •n. var. of TAMPION
Tomsk (tämsk) city in SW Siberia: pop. 475,000
tomtit (täm tit´, täm´tit') •n. [Chiefly Brit., etc.] a titmouse or any of various other small birds [see TOM]
tom-tom (täm´täm') •n. 1 any of various drums, as of Indian or African tribes, usually beaten with the hands 2 var. of TAM-TAM [Hindi tamtam: see TAM-TAM]
-tomy (tэ mi:) combining form 1 a dividing {dichotomy} 2 an incision, a (specified) surgical operation {ovariotomy, lobotomy} [ModL -tomia < Gr < tomē, a cutting < temnein, to cut < IE base *tem-, to cut > L tondere, to shear]
ton (tûn) pl. tons; sometimes, after a number, ton •n. 1 a unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds avoirdupois (907.18 kilograms), commonly used in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, etc.: in full short ton 2 a unit of weight equal to 2,240 pounds avoirdupois (1,016.06 kilograms), commonly used in Great Britain: in full long ton 3 METRIC TON 4 a unit of internal capacity of ships, equal to 100 cubic feet (or 2.8317 cubic meters): in full register ton 5 a unit of carrying capacity of ships, usually equal to 40 cubic feet: also called measurement ton or freight ton 6 a unit for measuring displacement of ships, equal to 35 cubic feet: it is approximately equal to the volume of a long ton of sea water: in full displacement ton Æ 7 a unit of cooling capacity of an air conditioner, equal to 12,000 Btu per hour 8 [often pl.] [Colloq.] a very large amount or number Abbrev. T, t, or tn [var. (differentiated (17th-c.) for senses weight, measure) of TUN] ton (touñ) •n. style; vogue [Fr: see TONE]
tonal (tou´nэl) •adj. of a tone or tonality ton´al·ly •adv. [ML tonalis]
tonality (tou næl´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. 1 quality of tone 2 Art the arrangement of tones, or color scheme, in a painting 3 Music a) in composition, the organization of tones around a central or pivotal tone or pitch class b) in music based on the major-minor system, KEY¹ (sense 10b)
tondo (tän´dou) pl. -di (-di:) •n.or -dos a round painting [It, a plate, orig. round, aphetic for rotondo < L rotundus: see ROTUND]
tone (toun) •n. 1 a) a vocal or musical sound b) its quality 2 an intonation, pitch, modulation, etc. of the voice that expresses a particular meaning or feeling of the speaker {a tone of contempt} 3 a manner of speaking or writing that shows a certain attitude on the part of the speaker or writer, consisting in choice of words, phrasing, etc. {the friendly tone of her letter} 4 normal resilience or elasticity {rubber that has lost its tone} 5 a) the prevailing or predominant style, character, spirit, trend, morale, or state of morals of a place or period {the cultured tone of their house} b) distinctive style; elegance {paintings that lent the room tone} 6 a) a quality or value of color; tint; shade b) any of the slight modifications of a particular color; hue {three tones of green} 7 Linguis. a) the relative height of pitch with which a syllable, word, etc. is pronounced b) the relative height of pitch that is a phoneme of a language and distinguishes meaning, as in the tone languages 8 Music a) a sound that is distinct and identifiable by its regularity of vibration, or constant pitch (as distinguished from a noise), and that may be put into harmonic relation with other such sounds b) the simple or fundamental tone of a musical sound as distinguished from its overtones c) any one of the full intervals of a diatonic scale; whole step d) any of several recitation melodies used in singing the psalms in plainsong 9 Painting the effect produced by the combination of light, shade, and color 10 Physiol. a) the condition of an organism, organ, or part with reference to its normal, healthy functioning b) the normal tension, or resistance to stretch, of a healthy muscle, independent of that caused by voluntary innervation; tonus •vt. toned, ton´ing 1 [Rare] INTONE 2 to give a tone to; specif., to give the proper or desired tone to (a musical instrument, a painting, etc.) 3 to change the tone of 4 Photog. to change or alter the color of (a print) by chemical means •vi. to assume a tone tone down 1 to give a lower or less intense tone to 2 to become softened 3 to make (something written or said) less harsh or more moderate tone in with to harmonize with tone up 1 to give a higher or more intense tone to 2 to become strengthened or heightened tone´less •adj. tone´less·ly •adv. tone´less·ness •n. [ME < OFr & L: OFr ton < L tonus, a sound < Gr tonos, a stretching, tone < teinein, to stretch: see THIN]
tone cluster a number of close musical tones (not a chord) sounded together, as on a piano
tone color TIMBRE