• Tilt

    Pronunciation

    • Rhymes: -ɪlt

    Origin 1

    Old English tyltan "to be unsteady"; Middle English tilte. Cognate with Icelandic tölt ("an ambling place").

    The nominal sense of "a joust" appears around 1510, presumably derived from the barrier which separated the combatants, which suggests connection with tilt "covering".

    The modern transitive meaning is from 1590, the intransitive use appears 1620.

    Full definition of tilt

    Verb

    1. (transitive) To slope or incline (something); to slant 1590Tilt the barrel to pour out its contents.
    2. (jousting) To charge (at someone) with a lance 1590
      • William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act III, scene IHe tilts
        With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast.
      • TennysonBut in this tournament can no man tilt.
    3. (intransitive) To be at an angle 1620
    4. (transitive) To point or thrust a weapon at.
      • 1819, , Otho the Great, Act V, Scene V, verses 52-54I say I quarrell’d with you;We did not tilt each other, — that’s a blessing, —Good gods! no innocent blood upon my head!
    5. (transitive) To point or thrust (a weapon).
      • J. PhilipsSons against fathers tilt the fatal lance.
    6. To forge (something) with a tilt hammer.to tilt steel in order to render it more ductile
    7. (poker) To play worse than usual (often as a result of previous bad luck).
    8. (photography) To move a camera vertically in a controlled way.

    Synonyms

    Coordinate terms

    Noun

    tilt

    (plural tilts)
    1. a slope or inclination (uncountable)
    2. a jousting contest (countable) 1510
    3. A thrust, as with a lance.
    4. (photography) the controlled vertical movement of a camera, or a device to achieve this
    5. an attempt at something, such as a tilt at public office.
      • 2011, December 7, Phil McNulty, Man City 2 - 0 Bayern Munich, City will now make the Premier League an even bigger priority, while regrouping and planning again for what they hope will be another tilt at the Champions League next season.
    6. tilt hammer

    Origin 2

    From Middle English telt, from Old English teld ("tent"), from Middle Low German telt,

    Etymology in

    perhaps via or influenced by Danish telt.

    Webster 1913|tilt

    Cognates include German Zelt ("tent"), Old Norse tjald ("tent") (whence also archaic Danish tjæld ("tent")). More at teld.

    Noun

    tilt

    (plural tilts)
    1. A canvas covering for carts, boats, etc. 1450
    2. Any covering overhead; especially, a tent.

    Verb

    1. (transitive) To cover with a tilt, or awning.

    Derived terms

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