tilt
A slope or inclinationA slope or inclination.
» Tom tilted his head.
Meaning
11 senses(countable, uncountable)A slope or inclination.
(countable, uncountable)The inclination of part of the body, such as backbone, pelvis, head, etc.
(countable, uncountable)The controlled vertical movement of a camera, or a device to achieve this.
(countable, uncountable)A jousting contest. (countable)
(countable, uncountable)An attempt, run, or bid for something; commonly with a sense of bold defiance or against steep odds.
He made a tilt at public office
(countable, uncountable)A thrust, as with a lance.
(countable, uncountable)A tilt hammer.
(countable, uncountable)A penalty triggered when a player physically shakes, lifts, or bangs a pinball machine too violently in an attempt to influence the path of the ball.
(slang, uncountable)A state of frustration and worsened performance resulting from a series of losses.
to go on tilt
A canvas covering for carts, boats, etc.
Any covering overhead; especially, a tent.
- the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical
- a slight but noticeable partiality
- a combat between two mounted knights tilting against each other with blunted lances
- pitching dangerously to one side
Examples
46 sentencesTom tilted his head.
Don't tilt your chair back.
deNicht mit dem Stuhl kippeln!
Mary tilted her head sideways.
He's tilting at windmills.
Він воює з вітряками.
ruОн сражается с ветряными мельницами.
deEr kämpft gegen Windmühlen.
It's like tilting at windmills.
Це як битися з вітряками.
Translations
4 languagesOrigin
From Middle English tilte, from Old English *tyltan, *tieltan (“to be unsteady”), relatedFrom Middle English tilte, from Old English *tyltan, *tieltan (“to be unsteady”), related to the adjective tealt (“unsteady”), from Proto-West Germanic *talt, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *del-, *dul- (“to shake, hesitate”), see also Dutch touteren (“to tremble”), North Frisian talt, tolt (“unstable, shaky”). Cognate with Icelandic tölt (“an ambling pace”).
From Middle English telte, tield, teld, from Old English teld (“tent”), from Proto-West Germanic *teld, from Proto-Germanic *teldą (“tent”). Perhaps influenced by Middle Low German telt, or Danish telt. Cognates include German Zelt (“tent”), Old Norse tjald (“tent”) (whence also archaic Danish tjæld (“tent”)). More at teld.
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Forms
plural: tiltsSynonyms
15 synonyms- the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical:listinclinationleanleaning
- a combat between two mounted knights tilting against each other with blunted lances:joust
- pitching dangerously to one side:rockcareensway
- a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement:controversycontentioncontestationdisputationdisceptationargumentarguing
Word family
1 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable