Tietick Tie"tick noun The meadow pipit. [ Prov. Eng].
Tiewig Tie"wig` noun A wig having a tie or ties, or one having some of the curls tied up; also, a wig tied upon the head. Wright. V. Knox.
Tiff Tiff noun [ Originally, a sniff, sniffing; confer Icelandic
...efr a smell,
...efa to sniff, Norw.
tev a drawing in of the breath,
teva to sniff, smell, dial. Swedish
tüv smell, scent, taste.]
1. Liquor; especially, a small draught of liquor. "Sipping his
tiff of brandy punch."
Sir W. Scott. 2. A fit of anger or peevishness; a slight altercation or contention. See Tift . Thackeray.
Tiff Tiff intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Tiffed ;
present participle & verbal noun Tiffing .]
To be in a pet. She tiffed with Tim, she ran from Ralph.
Landor.
Tiff Tiff transitive verb [ Middle English
tiffen , Old French
tiffer ,
tifer , to bedizen; confer Dutch
tippen to clip the points or ends of the hair, English
tip , noun ]
To deck out; to dress. [ Obsolete]
A. Tucker.
Tiffany Tif"fa·ny noun [ Middle English
tiffenay ; confer Old French
tiffe ornament,
tiffer to adjust, adorn. See
Tiff to dress.]
A species of gause, or very silk. The smoke of sulphur . . . is commonly used by women to whiten tiffanies .
Sir T. Browne.
Tiffin Tif"fin noun [ Properly,
tiffing a quaffing, a drinking. See
Tiff ,
noun ]
A lunch, or slight repast between breakfast and dinner; -- originally, a Provincial English word, but introduced into India, and brought back to England in a special sense.
Tiffish Tiff"ish adjective Inclined to tiffs; peevish; petulant.
Tift Tift noun [ Confer Norw.
teft a scent. See
Tiff ,
noun ]
A fit of pettishness, or slight anger; a tiff. After all your fatigue you seem as ready for a tift with me as if you had newly come from church.
Blackwood's Mag.
Tig Tig noun 1. A game among children. See Tag . 2. A capacious, flat-bottomed drinking cup, generally with four handles, formerly used for passing around the table at convivial entertainment.
Tigella Ti·gel"la noun [ New Latin , from French
tige stem or stock.]
(Botany) That part of an embryo which represents the young stem; the caulicle or radicle.
Tigelle Ti·gelle" noun [ French]
(Botany) Same as Tigella .
Tiger Ti"ger noun [ Middle English
tigre , French
tigre , Latin
tigris , Greek
ti`gris ; probably of Persian origin; confer Zend
tighra pointed,
tighri an arrow, Persian
tīr ; perhaps akin to English
stick , v.t.; -- probably so named from its quickness.]
1. A very large and powerful carnivore ( Felis tigris ) native of Southern Asia and the East Indies. Its back and sides are tawny or rufous yellow, transversely striped with black, the tail is ringed with black, the throat and belly are nearly white. When full grown, it equals or exceeds the lion in size and strength. Called also royal tiger , and Bengal tiger . 2. Fig.: A ferocious, bloodthirsty person. As for heinous tiger , Tamora.
Shak. 3. A servant in livery, who rides with his master or mistress. Dickens. 4. A kind of growl or screech, after cheering; as, three cheers and a tiger . [ Colloq. U. S.]
5. A pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar. American tiger .
(Zoology) (a) The puma. (b) The jaguar. --
Clouded tiger (Zoology) ,
a handsome striped and spotted carnivore ( Felis macrocelis or F. marmorata ) native of the East Indies and Southern Asia. Its body is about three and a half feet long, and its tail about three feet long. Its ground color is brownish gray, and the dark markings are irregular stripes, spots, and rings, but there are always two dark bands on the face, one extending back from the eye, and one from the angle of the mouth. Called also tortoise-shell tiger . --
Mexican tiger (Zoology) ,
the jaguar. --
Tiger beetle (Zoology) ,
any one of numerous species of active carnivorous beetles of the family Cicindelidæ . They usually inhabit dry or sandy places, and fly rapidly. --
Tiger bittern .
(Zoology) See Sun bittern , under Sun . --
Tiger cat (Zoology) ,
any one of several species of wild cats of moderate size with dark transverse bars or stripes somewhat resembling those of the tiger. --
Tiger flower (Botany) ,
an iridaceous plant of the genus Tigridia (as T. conchiflora , T. grandiflora , etc.) having showy flowers, spotted or streaked somewhat like the skin of a tiger. --
Tiger grass (Botany) ,
a low East Indian fan palm ( Chamærops Ritchieana ). It is used in many ways by the natives. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants). --
Tiger lily .
(Botany) See under Lily . --
Tiger moth (Zoology) ,
any one of numerous species of moths of the family Arctiadæ which are striped or barred with black and white or with other conspicuous colors. The larvæ are called woolly bears . --
Tiger shark (Zoology) ,
a voracious shark ( Galeocerdo maculatus or tigrinus ) more or less barred or spotted with yellow. It is found in both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. Called also zebra shark . --
Tiger shell (Zoology) ,
a large and conspicuously spotted cowrie ( Cypræa tigris ); -- so called from its fancied resemblance to a tiger in color and markings. Called also tiger cowrie . --
Tiger wolf (Zoology) ,
the spotted hyena ( Hyæna crocuta ). --
Tiger wood ,
the variegated heartwood of a tree ( Machærium Schomburgkii ) found in Guiana.
Tiger-eye Ti"ger-eye` noun (Min.) A siliceous stone of a yellow color and chatoyant luster, obtained in South Africa and much used for ornament. It is an altered form of the mineral crocidolite. See Crocidolite .
Tiger-foot Ti"ger-foot` noun (Botany) Same as Tiger's-foot .
Tiger-footed Ti"ger-foot`ed adjective Hastening to devour; furious.
Tiger's-foot Ti"ger's-foot` noun (Botany) A name given to some species of morning-glory ( Ipomœa ) having the leaves lobed in pedate fashion.
Tigerine Ti"ger·ine adjective Tigerish; tigrine. [ R.]
Tigerish Ti"ger·ish adjective Like a tiger; tigrish.
Tigh Tigh noun [ Perhaps akin to
tight .]
A close, or inclosure; a croft. [ Obsolete]
Cowell.
Tight Tight obsolete
past participle of Tie . Spenser.
Tight Tight adjective [
Compar. Tighter ;
superl. Tightest .] [ Middle English
tight ,
thiht ; probably of Scand. origin; confer Icelandic
...ēttr , Danish
tæt , Swedish
tät : akin to D. & German
dicht thick, tight, and perhaps to English
thee to thrive, or to
thick . Confer
Taut .]
1. Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open; as, tight cloth; a tight knot. 2. Close, so as not to admit the passage of a liquid or other fluid; not leaky; as, a tight ship; a tight cask; a tight room; -- often used in this sense as the second member of a compound; as, water- tight ; air- tight . 3. Fitting close, or too close, to the body; as, a tight coat or other garment. 4. Not ragged; whole; neat; tidy. Clad very plain, but clean and tight .
Evelyn. I'll spin and card, and keep our children tight .
Gay. 5. Close; parsimonious; saving; as, a man tight in his dealings. [ Colloq.]
6. Not slack or loose; firmly stretched; taut; -- applied to a rope, chain, or the like, extended or stretched out. 7. Handy; adroit; brisk. [ Obsolete]
Shak. 8. Somewhat intoxicated; tipsy. [ Slang]
9. (Com.) Pressing; stringent; not easy; firmly held; dear; -- said of money or the money market. Confer Easy , 7.
Tight Tight transitive verb To tighten. [ Obsolete]
Tighten Tight"en transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Tightened ;
present participle & verbal noun Tightening .]
To draw tighter; to straiten; to make more close in any manner. Just where I please, with tightened rein
I'll urge thee round the dusty plain.
Fawkes. Tightening pulley (Machinery) ,
a pulley which rests, or is forced, against a driving belt to tighten it.
Tightener Tight"en·er noun That which tightens; specifically (Machinery) , a tightening pulley.
Tighter Tight"er noun A ribbon or string used to draw clothes closer. [ Obsolete]
Tightly Tight"ly adverb In a tight manner; closely; nearly.
Tightness Tight"ness noun The quality or condition of being tight.
Tights Tights noun plural Close-fitting garments, especially for the lower part of the body and the legs.
Tiglic Tig"lic adjective (Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid, C 4 H 7 CO 2 H (called also methyl crotonic acid ), homologous with crotonic acid, and obtained from croton oil (from Croton Tiglium ) as a white crystalline substance.
Tigress Ti"gress noun [ From
Tiger : confer French
tigresse .]
(Zoology) The female of the tiger. Holland.
Tigrine Ti"grine adjective [ Latin
tigrinus , from
tigris a tiger.]
1. Of or pertaining to a tiger; like a tiger. 2. (Zoology) Resembling the tiger in color; as, the tigrine cat ( Felis tigrina ) of South America.
Tigrish Ti"grish adjective Resembling a tiger; tigerish.
Tike Tike noun (Zoology) A tick. See 2d Tick . [ Obsolete]
Tike Tike noun [ Icelandic
tīk a bitch; akin to Swedish
tik .]
1. A dog; a cur. "Bobtail
tike or trundle-tail."
Shak. 2. A countryman or clown; a boorish person.
Tikor Tik"or noun [ Hind.
tikhur .]
A starch or arrow-root made from the tubes of an East Indian zinziberaceous plant ( Curcuma angustifolia ); also, the plant itself.
Tikur, Tikoor Ti·kur", Ti·koor" noun [ Hind.
tik...r .]
An East Indian tree ( Garcinia pedunculata ) having a large yellow fleshy fruit with a pleasant acid flavor.
Tikus Ti"kus noun (Zoology) The bulau.
Til Til preposition & conj. See Till . [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Til seed Til seed (tĭl; tēl). (a) The seed of sesame. (b) The seed of an African asteraceous plant ( Guizotia abyssinica ), yielding a bland fixed oil used in medicine.
Til tree Til" tree` (Botany) See Teil .
Til tree Til tree (tĭl; tēl). (a) Var. of Teil tree . (b) An ill- smelling lauraceous tree ( Ocotea fœtens ) of the Canary Islands; -- sometimes disting. as Canary Island til tree .
Tilbury Til"bu·ry noun ;
plural Tilburies . [ Probably from
Tilbury fort, in the Country of Essex, in England.]
A kind of gig or two-wheeled carriage, without a top or cover. [ Written also
tilburgh .]
Tilde Til"de noun [ Spanish , from Latin
titulus a superscription, title, token, sign. See
Title ,
noun ]
The accentual mark placed over n , and sometimes over l , in Spanish words [ thus, ñ , <ilde; ], indicating that, in pronunciation, the sound of the following vowel is to be preceded by that of the initial, or consonantal, y .
Tile Tile transitive verb [ See 2d
Tiler .]
To protect from the intrusion of the uninitiated; as, to tile a Masonic lodge.
Tile Tile noun [ Middle English
tile ,
tigel , Anglo-Saxon
tigel ,
tigol , from Latin
tegula , from
tegere to cover. See
Thatch , and confer
Tegular .]
1. A plate, or thin piece, of baked clay, used for covering the roofs of buildings, for floors, for drains, and often for ornamental mantel works. 2. (Architecture) (a) A small slab of marble or other material used for flooring. (b) A plate of metal used for roofing. 3. (Metal.) A small, flat piece of dried earth or earthenware, used to cover vessels in which metals are fused. 4. A draintile. 5. A stiff hat. [ Colloq.]
Dickens. Tile drain ,
a drain made of tiles. --
Tile earth ,
a species of strong, clayey earth; stiff and stubborn land. [ Prov. Eng.] --
Tile kiln ,
a kiln in which tiles are burnt; a tilery. --
Tile ore (Min.) ,
an earthy variety of cuprite. --
Tile red ,
light red like the color of tiles or bricks. --
Tile tea ,
a kind of hard, flat brick tea. See Brick tea , under Brick .
Tile Tile transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Tiled ;
present participle & verbal noun Tiling .]
1. To cover with tiles; as, to tile a house. 2. Fig.: To cover, as if with tiles. The muscle, sinew, and vein,
Which tile this house, will come again.
Donne.
Tile-drain Tile"-drain` transitive verb To drain by means of tiles; to furnish with a tile drain.
Tilefish Tile"fish` noun (Zoology) A large, edible, deep-water food fish ( Lopholatilus chamæleonticeps ) more or less thickly covered with large, round, yellow spots. » It was discovered off the Eastern coast of the United States in 1880, and was abundant in 1881, but is believed to have become extinct in 1882.
Tiler Til"er noun A man whose occupation is to cover buildings with tiles. Bancroft.