tilln.1
/tɪl/, U.S. /tɪl/ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > receptacle or container > box > [noun] > drawer
till1452
draw box1531
drawer1565
draw1605
shuttle1626
tiller1693
society > occupation and work > equipment > receptacle or container > box > [noun] > small box > forming part of larger container
till1452
1452 in H. Anstey Munimenta Academica Oxf. (1868) II. 653 Prout patet in scriptis indenturis positis in ‘le tylle’ in studio meo Oxoniæ.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 281/1 Tyll in a chest, chettron.
1535 Inventory Wardrobe Katharine of Arragon 40 in Camden Misc. (1855) III One cofar..having foure tilles therin, the fore fronte of every of them gilte.
1549 in Palgrave Anc. Kal. & Inv. Excheq. (1836) III. 417 Which lettres patentes do lye in the nethermost tyll under the tyll wheron is written in text hand Acquietauncies.
a1553 R. Sadler List in 30th Rep. Deputy Keeper Public Rec. (1869) 224 Bagges of Bokes, Lettres, and other Writenges remayneng in the study at Westminster, and in several tilles within the same.
1561 in J. Nichols Progresses Queen Elizabeth (1823) I. 118 By Anthony Anthony a corbonett fall [full] of tylls.
1591 R. Percyvall Bibliotheca Hispanica Dict. at Caxon de arca The till of a chest, loculus.
1633 G. Herbert Confession in Temple i Within my heart I made Closets; and in them many a chest;..In those chests, boxes; in each box, a till.
1651 W. Davenant Gondibert iii. i. liv A spacious cabinet, with all things fraught.., she by degrees Lifts every till, does every drawer draw.
1664 S. Pepys Diary 8 Jan. (1971) V. 9 Going to his secret Till in his desk wherein the key of his cash-chest lay.
1719 D. Defoe Life Robinson Crusoe 228 When I came to the Till in the Chest, I found there three great Bags of Pieces of Eight.
1737 S. Berington Mem. G. di Lucca 14 Two little Cabinets..full of intricate Drawers or Tills.
2. Now spec. A drawer, money-box, or similar receptacle under and behind the counter of a shop or bank, in which cash for daily transactions is temporarily kept.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > place for keeping money > money box or chest > [noun] > till or cash-register
till-box1692
till1698
lob1819
Peter1827
damper1846
cash register1879
register1879
1698 London Gaz. No. 3363/4 Lost out of Mr. Wray's Shop in Little-Britain, a Til.
1804 M. Edgeworth Contrast ix, in Pop. Tales III. 134 James swept some loose money off the counter into the till.
1866 A. Crump Pract. Treat. Banking i. 31 All the money..excepting what must be kept in the ‘till’ for immediate use.
1908 Times 22 Apr. 5/5 Officers..suspected they had contemplated robbing the tills.
3. Printing. Each of the spaces or cells between the ribbed projections of the platen of a hand printing-press, in which the pressman keeps various small requisites.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > printing > printing machine or press > parts of printers or presses > [noun] > platen > space between platen projections
shelf1706
till1888
1888 C. T. Jacobi Printers' Vocab. 141 Tills, the cell-like divisions in the top side of the platen of a hand printing press.
Compounds
attributive and in other combinations (from 2), as till-lock, till-money, till-robber, till-robbing; till-alarm n. a device by which a bell is automatically rung when the till is opened. till-box n. = sense 1. till-roll n. a roll of paper recording an account of the transactions made at the till to which it is attached. till-tapping n. pilfering from a till. till-tapper n.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > place for keeping money > money box or chest > [noun] > till or cash-register
till-box1692
till1698
lob1819
Peter1827
damper1846
cash register1879
register1879
society > trade and finance > money > funds or pecuniary resources > [noun] > petty cash
petty cash1715
till-money1891
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > [noun] > from tills
lob-sneaking1868
till-tapping1893
lob-crawling1894
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > thief > [noun] > from tills
lob-crawler1887
till-tapper1893
society > trade and finance > management of money > keeping accounts > account or statement of > [noun] > record in cash register
till-roll1972
1692 London Gaz. No. 2756/4 Stolen..a Till-box with some Money in it.
1737 E. Hoppus Salmon's Country Builder's Estimator (ed. 2) 110 Cabinet Locks, Till Locks, and Scrutoire Locks.
1862 Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit. II. No. 5152 Ticket, receipt, and till protector.
1877 E. H. Knight Pract. Dict. Mech. Till-alarm.
1891 Daily News 3 Feb. 2/4 Part of their reserves..being necessary ‘till-money’ for daily transactions in small change.
1893 Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch 14 Nov. For some time the firm has been a loser by persistent till-tapping... The camera lens closed automatically with the photographs of the till tappers.
1895 J. C. Snaith Dorothy Marvin xxvii Pete declared it [the money stolen] was a month's till money.
1972 Times 18 Oct. 4/4 The butcher..examined his till roll, and there was no record of anyone having paid that amount.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
tilln.2
Originally and chiefly Scottish.
1. figurative.1832 D. Brewster Lett. Nat. Magic xi. 286 It may lie long unproductive in the ungenial till of human knowledge.
a. A term applied to a stiff clay, more or less impervious to water, usually occurring in unstratified deposits, and forming an ungenial subsoil. Originally a term of agriculture in Scotland.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > clay > [noun] > other clays
red clayc1475
urry1669
blae1724
cat-dirt1747
iron clay1750
till1762
mulatto clay1788
oak-tree clay1794
porcelain jasper1794
porcellanite1794
Karoo ground1836
plinthite1836
papa1851
Bradford clay1858
Indianaite1868
sinopite1868
hydrobiotite1881
pampas-clay1885
byon1892
potato clay1896
bentonite1898
quick clay1901
gumbotil1916
1762 A. Dickson Treat. Agric. ii. viii. 199 They [ploughmen] are so inattentive, as to leave good soil in some places, and turn up till in others.
1799 J. Robertson Gen. View Agric. Perth 19 On the declivities of almost all the hills a strong stiff till abounds.
1799 J. Robertson Gen. View Agric. Perth 477 Like all the land on the south aspect of the Seedlaws being a red till, capable of high cultivation and in most places approaching to the nature of loam.
1805 R. Forsyth Beauties Scotl. II. 66 Till,..is in universal use among farmers,..implying very various mixtures of mineral substances placed under the fertile mould... In general,..a hard clay of any sort, which in a very slight degree admits the passage of water, and is impenetrable by the roots of plants.
1816 W. Scott Antiquary I. iv. 68 Placing paving-stones beneath the tree when first planted..a barrier between his roots and the unkindly till.
1816 W. Scott Antiquary II. viii. 222 We're down to the till now,..and the ne'er a coffin or ony thing else is here.
b. In the majority of cases this clay belongs to the Glacial or Drift period, and in geological use ‘till’ has the specific sense ‘boulder clay’.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > clay > [noun] > boulder clay
till1842
boulder-clay1859
ground-moraine1863
1842 Darwin in Life & Lett. (1887) I. 300 A contribution to the Geological Society, on the boulders and ‘till’of South America.
1851 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 12 i. 281 This clay..rests upon ‘till’, or boulder clay.
1863 C. Lyell Geol. Evid. Antiq. Man xii. 218 Erratics of Scandinavian origin occur chiefly in the lower portions of the till.
1863 A. C. Ramsay Physical Geol. & Geogr. Great Brit. (1878) xxiv. 384 Much of the Lower Boulder~clay is known as ‘Till’ in Scotland.
2. Hard or soft shale; apparently = thill n.2 dialect.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > rock > sedimentary rock > [noun] > shale > others
till1672
bass1686
bat1686
blue metal1699
scallop slate1711
black shale1730
shale-shiver1794
shale1825
till-stonec1830
Wenlock shale1834
famp1836
Boghead1858
oil shale1866
paper shale1874
symon1881
paste-rock1882
slasto1953
1672 G. Sinclair Hydrostaticks 260 All Metals, as Stone, and Tilles (which are Seems of black Stone, and participat much of the nature of Coal) ly one above another, and keep a regular Course.
1831 W. Patrick Pop. Descr. Plants Lanarkshire Pref. 18 The stratum itself lies on a bed of till above the main coal.
Compounds
till-stone n. a fissile shale, in coalmines, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > rock > sedimentary rock > [noun] > shale > others
till1672
bass1686
bat1686
blue metal1699
scallop slate1711
black shale1730
shale-shiver1794
shale1825
till-stonec1830
Wenlock shale1834
famp1836
Boghead1858
oil shale1866
paper shale1874
symon1881
paste-rock1882
slasto1953
c1830 Glouc. Farm Rep. 4 in Libr. Useful Knowl., Husb. III A thin wet clay, of a most adhesive nature, covering the thin fissile till-stone.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
† tilln.3
Obsolete or regional.
= lentil n. 1a. Chiefly in plural.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > pulses or plants producing pulses > [noun] > chick-pea or lentil
lentila1325
chicha1382
Cicer1382
till1398
chit1541
chickpea1542
ram-ciche1597
ram's head ciche1601
chickny pea1693
gram1702
garbanzo1712
fasels-
the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > vegetables > pulse > [noun] > chick-pea or lentil
lentila1325
chicha1382
Cicer1382
lent1382
till1398
chickpea1542
chit1559
ram-ciche1597
fen lentil1601
ram's head ciche1601
lentil-pulse1660
chickny pea1693
gram1702
garbanzo1712
chana1838
lint1888
chana dal1895
fasels-
1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum (Bodl.) xvii. xcvi Malice off Tille is temprid ȝif þe skynne is ido aweye & þe piþ sode in fresche water.
14.. in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 594/5 Lupinus, Tylles.
a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Ezek. iv. 9 Take..wheete, and barli, and beenys, and tillis [1382 lent].
1607 R. Parker Scholasticall Disc. against Antichrist i. ii. 95 What maketh the fitches, tylles, tares..which are mingled with the wheate?
1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum 1068 Wee in English [call it] Lentills, but the country people in Hampshire, and other countries..call it Tills, leaving out the Lent, as thinking that word agreeth not with the matter.
1669 J. Worlidge Systema Agriculturæ (1681) 42 The least of all Pulses is the Lentil, in some places called Tills.
1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 330 Tills, Ervum.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online March 2021).
tilln.4
Printing.
In the early forms of hand printing-presses, a horizontal cross-piece extending between and fixed to the two main uprights, through which passes the hose or sleeve, and the shank of the spindle; also called shelf.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > printing > printing machine or press > parts of printers or presses > [noun] > crossbar
till1611
summer1683
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Planche,..the Till of a Printers Presse, or the shelfe that compasseth the Hose.
1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 49 The Till is a Board about one Inch thick... In its middle it hath a round Hole..for the Shank of the Spindle to pass through.
1770 P. Luckombe Conc. Hist. Printing 366 It may..be botched up by putting scabbord between the Hose and the square holes of the Till.
1841 W. Savage Dict. Art of Printing 796 Till or Shelf, a mahogany shelf that clasps the hose and causes it and the spindle to come down perpendicularly without any play.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online September 2018).
tilln.5
Obsolete or dialect.
1.
a. An act of tilling or ploughing land: see till v.1 4.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > breaking up land > ploughing > [noun]
eartheOE
earingOE
ploughing1374
fallowing1426
labouragec1475
ardagh1483
eara1500
fallowa1500
arder1581
waining1585
stitch1600
caruage1610
furrow1610
till1647
aration1663
bouting1733
breast-ploughing1754
prairie-breaking1845
sodbusting1965
1647 Husbandmans Plea against Tithes 36 Item for plowing of the fallow for Wheat at 3 tilles at 5 s. the Acre, for every of the three times plowing 60 li.
1760 R. Brown Compl. Farmer: Pt. 2 32 In Oxfordshire..they give their sour land a till, according to the..condition of their lands.
b. concrete. (See quots.)
ΚΠ
1794–1806 Rep. Agric., Lanc. 27 (E.D.S.) Till, a compost of earth and lime, mixed.
1828 W. Carr Dial. Craven (ed. 2) Till, Tillage, manure, compost.
2. ? Labour, toil: cf. till v.1 1.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > [noun] > labour or toil
workeOE
i-swincheOE
swenchOE
swote971
swingc1000
swinkOE
swinkinga1225
travailc1275
cark1330
sweatc1380
the sweat of (one's) brow (brows), facec1380
laboura1382
swengc1400
labouragec1470
toil1495
laborationa1500
tug1504
urea1510
carp1548
turmoil1569
moil1612
praelabour1663
fatigue1669
insudation1669
till?a1800
Kaffir work1848
graft1853
workfulness1854
collar-work1871
yakka1888
swot1899
heavy lifting1934
?a1800 Dame Oliphant xii, in F. J. Child Eng. & Sc. Pop. Ballads (1886) II. iv. 409/1 Willie he gaed hame again, To his hard task and till.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online September 2021).
† tilln.6
Obsolete. rare.
Allurement, enticement.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > motivation > attraction, allurement, or enticement > [noun]
tightingc1000
tolling?c1225
ticement1303
enticinga1340
ticinga1400
atticement1483
allure1534
luring1547
enticement1549
allurement1561
allurance1574
alluring1579
illurement1582
attraction1591
lurement1592
till1596
invitation1602
tract1620
illecebration1624
prolectation1625
invitement1627
inescation1645
inveiglement1653
allectation1656
tracture1658
solicitation1676
drumming1833
come-hither1835
chemistry1898
come-hitherness1918
1596 P. Colse Penelopes Complaint sig. G2v I feare me he hath caught some doue, And keepes her tame, with tills of loue.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
tillv.1
/tɪl/, U.S. /tɪl/ I. To labour, work for or at, cultivate.† 1. intransitive. To strive, exert oneself, labour, work.† 2. transitive. To labour after, seek after, provide; to get by effort, to obtain, acquire, or earn by labour; also (later) simply, to get, obtain. In Old English and Early Middle English const. with genitive, later with accusative. Obsolete.† 3. To take care of or attend to medically; to treat (a patient, or a disease). Const. as in 2. Only Old English.† 5. transitive. To raise, rear (a crop); to tend and cultivate (a plant) so as to promote growth. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > exert oneself or make an effort [verb (intransitive)]
tillc897
stightlea1375
stretcha1375
wrestlea1382
to put it forthc1390
to put one's hand(s) to (also unto)a1398
paina1400
takea1400
to do one's busy pain (also care, cure, diligence)?a1430
to make great force?c1450
makec1485
to stir one's stumpsa1500
to bestir one's stumps1549
to make work1574
put1596
bestira1616
operate1650
to lay out1659
to be at pains1709
exerta1749
tew1787
maul1821
to take (the) trouble1830
to pull outc1835
bother1840
trouble1880
to buck up1890
hump1897
to go somea1911
α.
β., γ.971 Blickl. Hom. 219 Se deada man cwic eft..& teolode to arisenne.c1000 Ælfric Homilies I. 412 Oxa teolað his hlaforde.c1000 Ælfric Homilies II. 76 Þa tyliað..Gode, þa ðe ne secað heora agen gestreon ðurh gytsunge.c1175 Lamb. Hom. 133 Þenne heo fundieð to teoliende efter istreone.c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 155 Þanne hie wilen tulien after strene.c897 K. Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care xix. 147 He sceal tilian ðæt he licige.
c1000 Ælfric Lives Saints xxviii. 168 To þisum swicolum life we swincað and tiliaþ and to þam towerdan life we tiliað hwonlice.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 19 Nu sculle we..tilian to þere saule bihofðe.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 37 Sume men..tiliȝet[h] michel to oðre mannæs bihofþe.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 296 Ure lauerd..tilede efter hare luue.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > endeavour > attempt [verb (transitive)] > strive for or after
tilla900
strivea1300
aswinkc1300
ofswinkc1300
forstrivec1315
beswink1377
to follow after ——c1390
hacka1450
ontilla1450
prosecutea1530
to scratch for1581
ettle1592
push1595
the mind > possession > acquisition > obtain or acquire [verb (transitive)] > obtain or acquire in a certain way > by care or effort
begeteOE
findOE
bewinc1175
getc1175
conquerc1230
reachc1275
procurec1325
makec1350
fishc1374
catchc1384
furneya1400
attainc1405
tillc1440
to pick out1577
to get a gripe ofa1586
secure1743
raise1838
to get one's hooks on (also into)1926
a900 Ags. Psalter (1835) xlviii. 7 Full neah ælc mann þæs tiolað..hu he on ecnesse swincan mæge.
c1000 Ælfric Homilies II. 552 Se asolcena ðeowa, þe nolde tilian nan ðing his hlaforde.
c1016 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) ann. 1016 Hi..heom metes tilodon.
a1175 Cott. Hom. 223 Þu scealt mid ærfeðnesse þe metes tylian.
c1220 Bestiary 80 in Old Eng. Misc. 3 Ne maiȝ he [the eagle] tilen him non fode.
1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 974 Hii..swonke & tylede hor liflode.
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 220 His luf to tak & tille.
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xiv. 67 Many wyntres men lyueden and no mete ne tulyeden [v.rr. teleden, tiliden, tilieden, tylied; C. xvi. 271 no mete telden].
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xv. 105 Tythes of vntrewe þinge ytilied or chaffared.
c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 300 Pore men..þat hauen greet neede..to þyng þat freris tillen of hem.
c1425 Cast. Persev. 2538 in Macro Pl. 153 A-forn mele, men mete schul tyle [rhymes skyl, wyl, hyle].
c1440 York Myst. vi. 59 Adam!..tille with-alle þi meete and drynke for euer-more.
ΚΠ
a850 Laws Ecgbert, Poenit. iv. c. 20 Wifman..gif heo tilað hire cilde med ænigum wiccecræfte.
c897 K. Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care lxii. 457 Hwæðres..ðara yfela is betere ær to tilianne?
a1000 Prose Life Guthlac (1848) xxii. 96 His læces hine mid sealfum lange teolodon.
c1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 60 Þonan se micla geoxa cume, oþþe hu hit mon tilian scule.
4.
a. transitive. To bestow labour and attention, such as ploughing, harrowing, manuring, etc., upon (land) so as to fit it for raising crops; to cultivate.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > cultivate or till [verb (transitive)]
begoc890
workOE
tillc1200
exercise1382
dightc1400
labourc1400
manure1416
cultive?1483
tilth1496
culture1510
trim1517
dress1526
subdue1535
toil1552
use1558
farm1570
cultivate1588
tame1601
husbandize1625
culturate1631
to take in1845
α.
β. c1200 Vices & Virtues 75 And land teliȝen and weriȝen. a1400Tell [see α. ]. c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) xxii. 103 Men of oure stature, þe whilk telez þe land.c1450 Godstow Reg. 33 In londes I-telyd and not I-telyd.1536 in Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 1538. 394 Licence..to ryfe, outbreke and teill yeirlie 1000 acris of thair commounlandis.1569 in J. H. Burton Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1877) 1st Ser. I. 653 Na Scottisman dwelland in Scotland sall tak or teill ony ground in England.1882 F. W. P. Jago Anc. Lang. & Dial. Cornwall Teel, to plant or sow.c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1310 Þat lond heo lette tilien [c1300 Otho tilie].
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Coll. Phys.) l. 23851 Il worþe it es to til [Gött. tell, Trin. Cambr. tile, Vesp. tille] þe fild, Þat noht ogain þe sed mai yeld.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) xxxii. 147 Þe folk nowþer tillez ne sawez na land.
c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 275 Persoones of the clergie..occupien lordschip of..feeldis..which thei hem silf tilien.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Gen. ii. A Nether was there eny man to tylle the earth.
1625 N. Carpenter Geogr. Delineated ii. i. 8 Euery man began..to till & manure the soyle with all heedfull industrie.
1765 T. Hutchinson Hist. Colony Massachusets-Bay, 1628–91 (ed. 2) 207 Light land being easily tilled.
1835 C. Thirlwall Hist. Greece I. ix. 342 The prisoners were forced to till the enemy's land.
b. spec. To plough (land).
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > breaking up land > ploughing > plough (land) [verb (transitive)]
eareOE
till1377
plough1423
break1499
sheugh1513
ayrec1540
to break up1557
furrow1576
spit1648
whelm1652
manage1655
hack1732
thorough1733
to plough in1764
rout1836
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xix. 256 My plowman Piers shal ben.., And for to tulye [v.r. tilie] treuthe a teme shal he haue.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid vi. xiv. 96 Quhair thow thi riggis telis for to saw.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) 1 Sam. xiv. 14 Halue an aker of londe, which a pare of oxen maye tyll in one daye.
1652 M. Nedham tr. J. Selden Of Dominion of Sea 260 An Hide..is so much Land as a Man can till with one Plow for a year.
1863 H. Fawcett Man. Polit. Econ. i. iv. 48 The same ploughs till the land for many successive crops.
c. absol.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > cultivate or till [verb (intransitive)]
till1100
1100–21 Anglo-Saxon Chron. ann. 1097 On ungewederan þa man oððe tilian sceolde oððe eft tilða gegaderian.
1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 854 Whan ȝe mow take no tol to tilien on erþe.
a1400–50 Alexander 4581 How suld ȝe tellel withouten toles?
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 293 This Haii..was behaldeng in the neist feild how the pluche teilet.
a1656 Bp. J. Hall Invisible World (1659) i. viii. 59 They then must purvey for their own food, and either till, or famish.
1850 A. Jameson Legends Monastic Orders 133 They drained, they tilled, they planted.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > cultivation of plants or crops > cultivate plants or crops [verb (transitive)]
tilla1325
raisec1384
uprearc1400
nourisha1500
cherish1519
dig1526
dress1526
govern1532
manure?c1550
rear1581
nurse1594
tame1601
crop1607
cultive1614
cultivate1622
ingentle1622
tend1631
make1714
peck1728
grow1774
farm1793
culture1809
side-dress1888
double-crop1956
produce2006
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1278 Abraham..tillede corn and sette treen.
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1869) II. 309 To ere and sowe and haue corne i-teled.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (1839) v. 50 Men maken all weys þat bawme to ben tyled of the cristen men.
1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 391 b/1 Of hym that tylyeth the vyne.
6. figurative. To cultivate (something figured as land or as a crop, e.g. the mind, a ‘field’ of knowledge, a virtue, etc.).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > branch of knowledge > humanistic studies > improve the mind, cultivate [verb (transitive)]
till1393
enrich1502
refine1592
cultivate?1631
unblade1633
urbanize1642
smooth1644
culture1677
metropolitanize1870
1393 W. Langland Piers Plowman C. i. 87 Bisshopes..Ben chargid with holy churche charyte to tulie, Þat is, leel loue..a-mong lered and lewed.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Ezek. xxxvi. 9 Vnto you will I turne me, that ye maye be tylled and sowen.
1642 J. Gauden 3 Serm. 132 Hee becomes tild and polished for the best society.
a1764 R. Lloyd Author's Apol. in Wks. (1774) I. 6 And tills their minds with proper care.
1889 Roscoe in Nature 10 Oct. 579/1 His most important researches have entered upon fields hitherto tilled, with but scanty success, by the biologist.
II. To prepare, set, or spread in readiness.† 8. To pitch (a tent): = teld v. 1; to set (a sail). Obsolete.
7. transitive. To spread (a net), set (a trap or snare). Also, to set in any position. Now south-western dialect. Cf. teld v. 4. Also absol.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > hunt [verb (transitive)] > trap > set place with traps
tilla1250
trap1831
a1250 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Nero) (1952) 150 Þer me sit mid þe greahundes forte kepen þe hearde. oðer tillen [c1390 Vernon tilleþ; ?c1225 Cleo., c1230 Corpus, a1300 Caius tildeð; a1250 Titus tildes] þe nettes aȝean ham.
1587 G. Turberville Tragicall Tales f. 33 The wilie witted boy That tiles his trappe to take the subtile foxe.
1614 W. Browne Shepheards Pipe ii. D j b Nor knowes a trappe nor snare to till.
a1794 M. Palmer Dialogue Devonshire Dial. (1837) 2 Took a bard out of the springal that little maester had a-teel'd.
1799 R. Southey Jrnl. 14 Sept. in Common-place Bk. (1851) 4th Ser. 523/1 By Newton Bushel we saw a board ‘Man Traps and Spring Guns are tilled in this Garden’.
1880 W. Carnegie Pract. Trapping 5 It is ten chances to one that the rabbit will go over or to the place at which you did not (as it is called in the West) ‘till’ your gin.
1880 W. Carnegie Pract. Trapping 36 In..trapping rooks..there is no difficulty in telling what part of the field to ‘till’ in.
1882 F. W. P. Jago Anc. Lang. & Dial. Cornwall Teel, to set or ‘teel a trap’.
1890 J. D. Robertson Gloss. Words County of Gloucester Tile or Teel..to tile a trap, to set a trap; to tile a gate, to set it open.
1895 ‘Q’ Wandering Heath 80 He and his mates went out and tilled the trammel.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabiting temporarily > camping or encamping > pitch (tent or camp) [verb (transitive)]
teldc725
slayc1000
to set upc1275
pitchc1325
allodgec1330
wickc1330
streeka1340
till1362
stretch1382
pick?a1400
tent1553
stenda1600
to strike up1755
society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > use of sails, spars, or rigging > carry specific amount of sail [verb (transitive)] > set or spread (sails)
spreadc1325
seta1400
tilla1665
1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. ii. 44 Ten þousend of Tentes I-tilled [v.rr. I-teldyde, teldit, teled] be-sydes.
a1665 K. Digby Jrnl. Voy. to Mediterranean (1868) 11 We had not men enough to till our sailes untill the other shippes were gone past our discerning.
Compounds
† Combinations of the verb-stem. till-land n. (also tele-land) tilled land, land under cultivation. till-ridge n. (also teill ryge) Scottish Obsolete
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > farm > farmland > land suitable for cultivation > [noun] > cultivated land
till-land1437
till-ridge1549
cultivation1757
wainage1810
khet1878
Dusun1914
1437 in C. Innes Registrum Episcopatus Aberdonensis (1845) I. 247 Merkand north~west our a moss to þe nerrast teleland of Ardgrane.
1549 Aberdeen Regr. (Spalding Club) I. 274 That na maner of takismen..ryif out..ony landis..without thair teill ryge of auld.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
† tillv.2
Obsolete.
a. intransitive. To reach, extend (to a specified point or distance; in quot. 1393, to a specified length).
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > extension in space > extend in space [verb (intransitive)]
bredeOE
comeOE
ylasta1175
drawc1180
areachc1225
lastc1275
tillc1290
durea1300
reachc1330
spreada1400
halec1400
reignc1400
splatec1440
extend1481
endure1523
span1535
discoursea1547
wina1578
distend1581
intend1594
sweep1789
outlie1876
a1000 Blickl. Glosses (E.E.T.S.) 262/2 Weras bloda & facenfulle na healfe getillað.]
c1290 St. Brendan 616 in S. Eng. Leg. 236 His her tilde doun to is fet, of berde and of heued.
1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. 174 Fram douere in to chestre tilleþ watelinge stret.
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1869) II. 107 The kyngdom of Deyra tillede and streiȝte from þe ryuer of Humber anon to þe ryuere of Tyne.
1393 W. Langland Piers Plowman C. vii. 220 Ich putte hem in pressours..Tyl ten ȝerdes oþer twelue tilled [A. v. 128 tolden; B. v. 214 tolled] out þrettyne.
b. transitive. (a) To stretch to, attain to, reach, touch. (b) To stretch (a thing) out.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > posture > action or fact of stretching body > stretch [verb (transitive)] > specific part of body
reacheOE
stretcha1000
to-spreada1000
warpa1225
spreada1275
putc1390
straightc1400
to lay forthc1420
outstretcha1425
tillc1540
extend1611
to rax out1622
to stick out1663
overreach1890
OE Rule St. Benet (Corpus Cambr.) vii. 23 gif we þone hrof þære healican eaðmodnesse getillan willað.]
c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 914 As he tilt out his tung with his tethe grym.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
† tillv.3
Obsolete.
1.
a. transitive. To draw, attract, persuade; to entice, allure, coax; to win over.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > motivation > attraction, allurement, or enticement > attract, allure, or entice [verb (transitive)]
teec888
tightc1000
drawc1175
tollc1220
till?c1225
ticec1275
bringc1300
entice1303
win1303
wina1340
tempt1340
misdrawa1382
wooa1387
lure1393
trainc1425
allurea1450
attract?a1475
lock1481
enlure1486
attice1490
allect1518
illect?1529
wind1538
disarm1553
call1564
troll1565
embait1567
alliciate1568
slock1594
enamour1600
court1602
inescate1602
fool1620
illure1638
magnetize1658
trepana1661
solicit1665
whistle1665
drill1669
inveigh1670
siren1690
allicit1724
wisea1810
come-hither1954
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 302 Ne tulle ȝe to þe ȝete nane uncuðe harloz.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 238 Mi lichte onswere. oðer mine lichte lattes tulden him earst upon me.
a1340 R. Rolle Psalter xxiv. 2 Þof þai waite nyght and daye with ill suggestions to till me til syn.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 12175 To þe scole him for to till [Fairf. tille].
a1400 Minor Poems from Vernon MS xxix. ii. 38 On of þe Iewes Malicious Tilled þe child in to his hous.
1471 G. Ripley Compound of Alchymy v. xliii, in E. Ashmole Theatrum Chem. Britannicum (1652) 158 Lest wyth theyr flatteryng they so the tyll That thou agre unto ther wyll.
c1480 (a1400) St. Theodora 159 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) II. 103 For eth is a man to til to do it þat is his wil.
1581 A. Hall tr. Homer 10 Bks. Iliades iv. 71 He tild them for to trye And proue with him the combate.
1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxi. xi. 399 By tilling them on, and alluring them with hope of great rewards.
1609 C. Butler Feminine Monarchie ii. sig. B8v The sun rising doth oftimes till them forth.
1666 M. Mead Solomon's Prescript. 83 Devils..labouring to..till thee on.
b. absol.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > motivation > persuasion > persuade [verb (intransitive)]
workOE
tilla1400
persuadea1500
persuade?c1550
persuade1558
to come over1741
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 27307 He sal him til a-mendes drau,..wit wordes soft and mild, Als moder tilland dos hir child.
a1591 H. Smith Wks. (1866–7) I. 299 As though his eyes would draw his heart, as the bait tilleth on the hook.
2.
a. To draw (physically).
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impelling or driving > pushing and pulling > push and pull [verb (transitive)] > pull
teea900
drawOE
tighta1000
towc1000
tirea1300
pullc1300
tugc1320
halea1393
tilla1400
tolla1400
pluckc1400
retract?a1475
hook1577
tew1600
hike1867
a1400–50 Alexander 5479 Þai [sirens] droȝe þam doun in-to þe depe & drowned þaim..Or els þai tillid þaim to þe trees.
b. intransitive. ? To proceed, go. (Cf. ‘draw near’.)
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > [verb (intransitive)]
nimeOE
becomec885
teec888
goeOE
i-goc900
lithec900
wendeOE
i-farec950
yongc950
to wend one's streetOE
fare971
i-wende971
shakeOE
winda1000
meteOE
wendOE
strikec1175
seekc1200
wevec1200
drawa1225
stira1225
glidea1275
kenc1275
movec1275
teemc1275
tightc1275
till1297
chevec1300
strake13..
travelc1300
choosec1320
to choose one's gatea1325
journeyc1330
reachc1330
repairc1330
wisec1330
cairc1340
covera1375
dressa1375
passa1375
tenda1375
puta1382
proceedc1392
doa1400
fanda1400
haunta1400
snya1400
take?a1400
thrilla1400
trace?a1400
trinea1400
fangc1400
to make (also have) resortc1425
to make one's repair (to)c1425
resort1429
ayrec1440
havea1450
speer?c1450
rokec1475
wina1500
hent1508
persevere?1521
pursuec1540
rechec1540
yede1563
bing1567
march1568
to go one's ways1581
groyl1582
yode1587
sally1590
track1590
way1596
frame1609
trickle1629
recur1654
wag1684
fadge1694
haul1802
hike1809
to get around1849
riddle1856
bat1867
biff1923
truck1925
1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 2492 Sire graunte me þanne, quaþ hengist, ȝif it is þi wille As moche place as mid a þuong ich may aboute tille.
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 128 To gile no to fraude wild he neuer tille. [But this may be 1.]
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
tillv.4
/tɪl/, U.S. /tɪl/ transitive. To put (money) into a till.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > place for keeping money > money box or chest > [verb (transitive)] > put into a till
till1841
1841 J. T. J. Hewlett Parish Clerk III. 68 Having tilled the fourpence three farthings.
1891 Goschen in Standard 9 July 2/3 Coins..which have been tilled for many years, thereby not being exposed to any friction.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
tillprep.conj.adv.
/tɪl/, U.S. /tɪl/ A. prep.
I. Local and dative. Now only northern dialect and Scottish, where normally used instead of to before a vowel or h.† 4. In preceding senses, often placed after its object, for metrical reasons. Obsolete.
1. = to prep.
a. In the ordinary local sense of to.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > direction > in the direction of [preposition]
tilla800
towardsc888
toc890
towardc893
to-gainsc950
anenta1225
i-gainc1325
ata1400
gaina1400
tilwarda1400
gainwarda1542
a800 Inscription, Ruthwell Cross, Dumfries in O.E.T. 126 Hweþræ þer fusæ fearran kwomu æþþilæ til anum.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) Ded. l. 170 He..stah Þa siþþenn upp till heffne.
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 3 Þe fled out of Wales away tille Ireland.
c1380 J. Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 445 Suche gone prively til helle.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 10832 Ar he his wijf til hus wald bring.
c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 2100 They goon Hoom til Atthenes.
1489 W. Caxton tr. C. de Pisan Bk. Fayttes of Armes ii. xiii. 114 He dyde goo from one place tyl another.
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xv. 181 Tyll Egyp weynd shall we.
c1600 Hist. & Life James VI (1804) 256 The Earle of Atholl sent aduertisement heirof till [ed. 1825 to] Argyll.
1614 J. Davies in W. Browne Shepheards Pipe sig. G5 Whan wee wenden till another place.
1807 J. Stagg Misc. Poems (new ed.) 36 As king Solomon hath said, The place I'll not turn tilt [= to it].
1816 W. Scott Antiquary I. ix. 204 Rab..bang'd out o' bed, and till some of his readiest claes.
b. As far as; so as to reach. Cf. also C. 3.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement towards a thing, person, or position > reaching a point or place > at a point or place [preposition] > so as to reach
toc893
tillc1400
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (1839) ix. 107 The forpartie of the heed til vnder the chyn is at Rome.
1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 80/2 Nabugodonosor..sente vnto all Regyons aboute..tyl the mountes of ethyope.
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) x. 682 Swerdis..War till the hyltis all bludy.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Judges xx. 43 They..folowed vpon them..and trode them downe tyll afore Gibea.
1561 J. Hollybush tr. H. Brunschwig Most Excellent Homish Apothecarye f. 38 That it maye reache..from the nauell tyll the priuy membres.
1828 P. Buchan Anc. Ballads & Songs N. Scotl. I. 2 But ere he read it till an end, The tear blinded his eye.
2. In senses of to derived from the local.† b. Conformably to, in accordance with, after. Obsolete. rare.† c. To or for the purpose of, in order to be; to become, as. Obsolete.
a. where the object is not a point in space. Now Scottish.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > existence > state or condition > [preposition] > to or into a state or condition
tillc1175
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) Ded. l. 18 Þu þohhtesst tatt itt mihhte wel. Till mikell frame turrnenn.
a1340 R. Rolle Psalter xxiv. 2 Ill suggestions to till me til syn.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) Pref. 2 What lufe he had til his sugets.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) iv. 12 Changed..fra a faire damysell til a dragoun.
1509 J. Fisher Mornynge Remembraunce Countesse of Rychemonde (de Worde) sig. Aiv She restrayned her appetyte tyl one mele & tyl one fysshe on ye day.
1513 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid vi. Prol. 64 Till vertu thaim to brod.
1582–8 Hist. & Life Jas. VI (1804) 260 He was putt till extreme tortor.
1655 T. Fuller Church-hist. Brit. iv. 193 He was..restored till his liberty and Arch-Bishoprick.
1826 J. Wilson Noctes Ambrosianae xxv, in Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Apr. 497 I venerate the adherence till't.
1858 E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. Sc. Life (1870) v. 104 ‘They're what we must all come till’.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > a standard of conduct > standard of conduct [preposition] > in conformity with
afterOE
till1340
1340 R. Rolle Pricke of Conscience 90 Ilk man..God made til his awen lyknesse.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) Pref. 2 How dere he boght man þat he had made til his awen liknes.
1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) xix. 59 He was not armed tyl his plesure.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > intention > [preposition] > indicating purpose
toc893
afterOE
fortc1200
tilla1352
a1352 L. Minot Poems xi. 40 Þat he may at his ending haue heuin till his mede.
a1450 Le Morte Arth. 637 The feyrest lady..Tille his lemman chosen hath he.
1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) xxv. 93 I wolde haue gyuen you tyl his wyff.
3. Expressing the indirect object or dative relation. After verbs of giving, telling, comparing, hearkening, pertaining, addition, affecting action; adjectives and nouns of likeness, agreeableness, belonging, relationship, etc. Now northern dialect and Scottish.
ΚΠ
c950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xxvi. 31 Ða cueð til him ðe hælend.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 803 He seȝȝde þuss till himm.
1340 R. Rolle Pricke of Conscience 1833 Of twa [reasons] byfore I spake, Now wil I other twa til þam take.
1357 Lay Folks Catech. 29 (MS. T.) Of the lawe and þe lare þat langes till halikirke.
1357 Lay Folks Catech. 89 Iesu crist..Is sothefastly god euen til [= equal to] his fadir.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13632 Hald þe til [Gött., Trin. Cambr. to] him.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) Pref. 2 Knawen openly til all men.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) iii. 9 Þai schuld be obedient til him.
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xiii. 511 Till hym neir syb wes he.
1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) i. 565 Þe endentur till him gaf he.
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xviii. 216 Whi dos thou tyll vs thus?
?1521 J. Fisher Serm. agayn Luther sig. Biv How yt shadowe & this thynge agreeth..one tyll another.
1724 A. Ramsay Tea-table Misc. (1733) I. 21 Wad ye compare ye'r sell to me, A Docken till a tansie.
1790 A. Wheeler Westmorland Dial. 63 He hes dun tull em oa [= all] alike.
1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering I. xv. 242 The death of the grey mare..was naething till't.
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian vi, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. II. 152 ‘Hear till her,’ said Madge.
ΚΠ
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 2350 I wold wend hem tille wiþ-oute ani stint.
c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 5264 Þus he spak him tille.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3712 And sithen his sun he cald him till.
c1420 Chron. Vilod. 1412 Alle his askyng þey grauntede hym tylle.
a1561 G. Cavendish Metrical Visions (1980) 269 I aspied certyn persons commyng me tyll.
II. Of time.
5.
a. Onward to (a specified time); up to the time of (an event); during the whole time before; until. (Denoting continuance up to a particular time, and usually implying cessation or change at that time: cf. B. 1)
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > antecedence [preposition] > until
toc1000
fortc1200
tillc1330
hentc1426
pending1837
'til1939
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > antecedence [conjunction] > until > (long or not long) until
tillc1330
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. Wace (Rolls) 27 Fro Eneas till Brutus tyme.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Fairf. 14) l. 498 Sa þai sal tille [Vesp., Gött. to] domesday.
a1400 Sir Perc. 25 Fro thethyne tille his lyves ende.
1548 Hall's Vnion: Edward IV f. ccxxxiiv He kepte all these thinges secret, tyll his retorne.
1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost v. ii. 646 He would fight; yea, From morne till night. View more context for this quotation
1611 Bible (King James) Exod. xvi. 19 Let no man leaue of it till the morning. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) i. iii. 106 Fight till the last gaspe. View more context for this quotation
1632 R. Le Grys tr. Velleius Paterculus Romane Hist. Ded. 7 From the foundation of the city till the ruine of the Macedonian kingdome.
1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well III. xii. 296 She doubted if the woman would live till morning.
1827 J. Keble Christian Year I. iii. 6 Abide with me from morn till eve.
b. After a negative, denoting the continuance of the negative condition up to the time indicated (and implying its cessation then); thus nearly equivalent to before. Cf. B. 1b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > antecedence [preposition] > before
aforeeOE
toOE
toforea1000
atforea1250
forouthc1375
fornea1400
forrow1474
tilla1616
in advance1680
A1807
pre1960
a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) ii. ii. 165 I neuer saw her till this time. View more context for this quotation
1649 C. Walker Anarchia Anglicana 155 To give no account for it till Doomes-day in the afternoone.
1671 Lady M. Bertie in 12th Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1890) App. v. 22 The grand ballett is not to be danced till Shrove-Munday.
1719 D. Defoe Life Robinson Crusoe 27 [He] beg'd of me not to go on shoar till Day.
1861 M. Pattison in Westm. Rev. Apr. 410 It was not till the 14th century that their guild rose into wealth and importance.
1887 M. Oliphant Makers of Venice ii. ii. 177 The news..did not reach him till long after the event.
c. Followed by an adverb (or adverbial phr.) of time. Cf. now adv., conj., n.1, and adj. Phrases 1, then adv. 7.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > antecedence [preposition] > until > a specific time
tillc1380
c1380 J. Wyclif Last Age Church 30 Fro Crist til now, þrittene hundrid ȝeer and sixe and fyfty.
a1529 J. Skelton Magnyfycence (?1530) sig. Bi Fare you well tyll sone.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Prov. xxix. B A foole poureth out his sprete alltogether, but a wyse man kepeth it in till afterwarde.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) v. i. 26 I knew not what 'twas to be beaten, till lately. View more context for this quotation
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 744 I know thee not, nor ever saw till now Sight more detestable. View more context for this quotation
1746 P. Francis tr. Horace in P. Francis & W. Dunkin tr. Horace Epistles i. vii. 107 Till then farewel.
1844 A. W. Kinglake Eothen viii. 142 It was not till after midnight that my visit..came to an end.
1912 N.E.D. at Till Mod. I stayed till after ten o'clock.
d. = to prep. 6b, in stating the time of day. U.S.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > reckoning of time > [preposition] > to or past (a certain hour)
aftera1500
till1949
1949 H. Kurath Word Geogr. Eastern U.S. ii. 30/2 In the greater part of the Midland..quarter till eleven is current.
1962 M. Gordon & G. Gordon Journey with Stranger (1963) iv. 36 ‘Ten till,’ he said... ‘I'll go in first.’
III. = to prep. with the infinitive. Now only Scottish.
6.
a. as preposition introducing the infinitive of purpose.Not in Norse. Closely akin to A. 2c; þare sorrow til amese = to or with the aim of, or for the purpose of, amesing their sorrow, to the mitigation of their sorrow.
ΚΠ
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 5330 He praid þe god men þat þar wer To lith a quil his word til her.
c1480 (a1400) St. Clement 519 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 388 Thane, þare gret sorow til ames, petyre þame tald how It was hapnyt.
a1500 (c1425) Andrew of Wyntoun Oryg. Cron. Scotl. (Nero) ix. l. 2838 Tyll ete ore drink, syng ore dance.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid viii. vii. 31 Sen Nereus douchtir, Thetis, mycht..Induce the till enarme hir son Achill.
1535 W. Stewart tr. H. Boethius Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) III. 323 For till reskew Thair libertie..Beseikand him to tak auctoritie In that mater and afald ay till be.
1599 A. Hume Epist. to G. Montcrieff in Hymnes sig. H3 Till execute their office man be hyred.
b. as sign of the simple infinitive; esp. after for.Now chiefly used before a vowel or h.
ΚΠ
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Fairf. 14) l. 12989 For tille [Vesp. to] be myne vnderloute.
1424 Coldstream Chartul. (1879) 42 Be it mad kend..me Jon of Swynton..till haue fulli grantit to ye priores [etc.].
c1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iv. 1252 Now aught I sore till irke!
1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) i. 98 Trawayllyt for to wyn senȝhory, And throw his mycht till occupy Landis.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid vi. xv. 10 For til excers the art of geometrye.
1816 W. Scott Antiquary II. x. 270 An ye had wussed till hae been present.
c1880 Lyttle Paddy McQuillan 85 (E.D.D.) Get Mickey Mooney till gie me a lift wi' them.
B. conj. (originally the preposition governing the demonstrative pronoun that, in apposition to the following clause.) Cf. until prep. and conj., similarly used.(From the earliest Middle English times both till that (see that conj. 1e) and the simple till occur; supplanting Old English óþ þæt, early Middle English oþat, a þat (see a that conj. and prep., a the conj.), also Old English óþ þe and the simple óþ. Till that represented Old Norse til þess (Middle Swedish til þes (at), til þet, Swedish til dess at.)† 2. During the time that; so long as; while.
1. † f. After so long, so far, etc., indicating ultimate result. Obsolete. (Now expressed by that, or by till with omission of so long, etc. as in e.) (Cf. Middle Swedish swa lange til þes; German so lang bis.)
a. To the time that; up to (the point) when; until. (Denoting the continuance of the action or state expressed by the principal clause up to the time expressed by the subordinate clause, and usually implying that at that time such action or state ceases and a different or opposite one begins.)Formerly often (and still archaic) with subordinate clause in subjunctive when expressing supposition, contingency, or expectation (in Middle English sometimes even when expressing fact); so also in subordinate senses below.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > antecedence [conjunction] > until
forth thatc888
till1154
a thatc1175
fortc1200
fort thatc1200
all-whata1225
alfort?a1300
toa1300
hentc1426
1154 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) ann. 1137 Þar he nam þe biscop..&..hise neues & dide ælle in prisun til hi iafen up here castles.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 9147 Fra þatt he wass full litell. Till þatt he waxenn wass.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 126 Swa þeȝȝ leddenn heore lif Till þatt teȝȝ wærenn alde.
a1225 Leg. Kath. 720 Þeos meiden..abad baldeliche aðet me [v.r. til þet men] come & fatte hire.
c1320 Cast. Love 44 To wonen and welden to such ende, Til þat he scholde to heuene wende.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) 8421 Þu sett him to fostering, Tille he be lerid himself to lede.
1420–30 Prymer (E.E.T.S.) 64 Alle þe daies in whiche y trauele now, y abide til my chaungyng come.
1526 Bible (Tyndale) Luke xv. f. cij What woman..doth not..seke diligently, till she finde it?
1560 T. Ingelend Disobedient Child (Percy Soc.) 22 I thought it surely a whole hundred yere, Tyll in this place I sawe you here.
1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost i. ii. 119 Forbeare till this companie be past. View more context for this quotation
1611 Bible (King James) Dan. ii. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) i. ii. 468 I will resist such entertainment, till Mine enemy ha's more pow'r. View more context for this quotation
1633 P. Massinger New Way to pay Old Debts iii. iii. sig. H She..sitts on thornes, till she be priuate with him.
1707 J. Chamberlayne Angliæ Notitia (ed. 22) ii. xv. 194 They..forfeited their Places if they did marry, till by Act of Parliament..they were allowed to take Wives.
1796 Hist. Ned Evans II. 213 I shall count the hours till I return.
1833 H. Martineau Three Ages iii. 89 To be left at the Blue Lion till called for.
1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam xiii. 20 Silence, till I be silent too. View more context for this quotation
b. With negative (expressed or implied) in the principal clause, and the subordinate clause with till denoting the continuance of the negative condition up to the specified time, and usually (as in A. 1) implying its cessation or reversal (i.e. the commencement of the opposite or positive condition) at that time.Here before can be substituted for till, but is not strictly synonymous with it, since in that case the negative qualifies the whole statement including the subordinate clause. This may also be the case with till, e.g. ‘You need not wait till I come back’ (sense A. 1); cf. ‘You must not go till I come back’ ( A. 1b). Hence some sentences of this form are ambiguous; but usually the context or circumstances make it clear which is meant.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > antecedence [conjunction] > until > not until
tillc1220
c1220 Bestiary 19 Ne stireð he nout of slepe Til ðe sunne haueð sinen ðries him abuten.
a1400 Seuyn Sages (W.) 1276 For thef of steling wil nowt blinne Til he honge bi the chinne.
c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Reeve's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) Prol. l. 21 Til we be roten, kan we noght be rype.
1463 in S. Tymms Wills & Inventories Bury St. Edmunds (1850) 27 This mony not to be delyuerid..tyl the messe of Requiem be endyd.
1526 Bible (Tyndale) John xiii. f. cxlij The cocke shall nott crowe, till thou have [1611 King James hast] denyed me thryse.
1648 R. Herrick Hesperides sig. R8 Seldome comes Glorie till a man be dead.
1676 M. Lister in J. Ray Corr. (1848) 125 I shall resolve upon nothing till I see you.
1766 O. Goldsmith Vicar of Wakefield I. xviii. 191 Man little knows what calamaties are beyond his patience to bear till he tries them.
1780 Mirror No. 104 At length we set out..but not till repeated instructions were given [etc.].
1814 Spaniards iv. i, in New Brit. Theatre III. 239 Nor will the flaming sword of war..Be sheath'd again till that the Moorish pride Be humbled.
1832 H. Martineau Demerara i. 15 We shall never prosper..till the system is wholly changed.
1864 C. J. Lever Men & Women, etc. 1st Ser. 91 ‘Never imagine’, said a wise prelate, ‘that you will root Popery out of England till you destroy Oxford’.
c. Formerly, and still dialect and in U.S., used after a negative principal clause, where before (or when) is now substituted in Standard English.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > antecedence [conjunction] > before
toforea1325
afore1340
againa1350
againsta1350
tillc1420
tofore orc1440
tofore1464
c1420 J. Lydgate Assembly of Gods 1130 No man cowde hym let tyll he came there.
1559 W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Edward IV. iii I could not be ware tyl I was begiled.
1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. v. 231 Scarcely were wee well aduanced in our way, till wee were beset with more then three hundred Arabs.
a1731 D. Defoe New Voy. round World in Wks. (1840) VII. 79 I had not been many hours on board, till I was surprised with the firing of three muskets.
1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) vi. 168 I was not long set till Margaret came to see me.
d. Depending on a principal clause containing an expression of long duration of time or delay before the act or state expressed by the subordinate clause begins or takes effect. Now dialect.
ΚΠ
c1330 Assump. Virg. (B.M. MS.) 121 Alle him þenkeþ swiþe longe Til þou comest hem amonge.
1461 M. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 277 I thynk ryth longe tyll I haue some god tydyngys fro yow.
a1533 Ld. Berners tr. Arthur of Brytayn (?1560) lxxxxiiii. sig. B*vi I shal think tyll that season be come as long or longer than ye shal do.
a1533 Ld. Berners tr. A. de Guevara Golden Bk. M. Aurelius (1537) sig. Rivv The mayden that tarieth long tyll she be maried.
a1593 C. Marlowe Edward II (1594) sig. D3 Come lead the way, I long till I am there.
1603 W. Shakespeare Hamlet iv. vii. 153 But long it could not be, Till that her clothes..Dragg'd the sweete wretch to death.
1640 tr. G. S. du Verdier Love & Armes Greeke Princes iii. iv. 13 He..thought it long till hee was in the Citie.
1825 T. Carlyle Life Schiller (1845) iii. 189 It was not long till..he set about turning this new knowledge to account.
1866 W. D. Howells Venetian Life vii. 114 So at first she seemed, and it was long till we doubted her perfection.
e. Indicating the ultimate result or outcome of a continued action expressed by the principal clause: So long or so far that; so that at length.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > antecedence [conjunction] > until > following continued action
tillc1220
c1220 Bestiary 65 Ðer-ouer he fleȝeð, and up he teð, Til ðat he ðe heuene seð.
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. ii. 96 And þanne to sitten and soupen til slepe hem assaille.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 10991 Quen þai had beden til þai war irk.
c1430 Chev. Assigne 96 He wente þorow a foreste..Thylle he come to a watur.
1508 W. Dunbar Goldyn Targe (Chepman & Myllar) in Poems (1998) I. 191 Thai fyrit gunnis..Till that the reke raise to the firmament.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) i. i. 7 Blow till thou burst thy winde. View more context for this quotation
1766 O. Goldsmith Vicar of Wakefield I. xii. 114 He..stands out and higgles, and..tires them till he gets a bargain.
1895 Mrs. H. Ward Bessie Costrell ii. 31 Bessie ran till she was out of breath.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > antecedence [conjunction] > until > indicating ultimate result
tillc1386
so long (…) until1470
c1386 G. Chaucer Summoner's Tale 58 So longe he wente hous by hous, til he Cam til an hous ther he was wont to be Refresshed.
1470–85 T. Malory Morte d'Arthur xvii. xxiii. 724 He rode so fast tyl he came to Camelot.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. ii. sig. Ov So long they traueiled..Till that at last they to a Castle came.
1599 A. M. tr. O. Gaebelkhover Bk. Physicke 44/1 Vse it as long till it return noe more.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) iii. i. 362 [He] fought so long, till that his thighes with Darts Were almost like a sharpe-quill'd Porpentine.
1650 J. Trapp Clavis to Bible (Gen. xxxii. 26) 262 The importunate widow teacheth us, to press God so far, till we put him to the blush.
1788 J. Skinner Christmass Bawing in Caledonian Mag. Sept. 500 Leitch..gae him sic a kick, Till they a' thought him slain.
1800 S. T. Coleridge tr. F. Schiller Piccolomini iv. v. 165 And till we are indemnified, so long Stays Prague in pledge.]
g. Indicating purpose: in order that (one) may, (loosely) ‘and let me’. Scottish and Irish English.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > intention > [conjunction] > indicating purpose
till1881
1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 18 Give me a match till I light the gas.
1904 W. B. Yeats Pot of Broth 78 Give me some vessel, till I give this sky-woman a taste of it.
1931 A. J. Cronin Hatter's Castle iii. iv. 525 Come till I give ye a grand, big hug.
a1966 ‘M. na Gopaleen’ Best of Myles (1968) 57 Will yez all come in here..till I show yez me new picture.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > duration > duration [conjunction] > during the time that
while (that)1154
tillc1330
to1357
while as1563
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 18 His childre he wild auance tille he o lyue were.
c1480 (a1400) Prol. 82 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 3 Til saule & body to-gydir ves.
c1480 (a1400) Prol. 106 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 4 Til þat he ves vith þaim in lyfe.
1558 Bp. T. Watson Holsome Doctr. Seuen Sacramentes xvi. f. xcviiiv Let vs..make haste to amende our lyues tyll we haue tyme.
1604 T. Wright Passions of Minde (1620) 14 To prosecute pleasures..enjoy the roses til they flourish.
1. In collocation with fra (= fro): see fro adv., and cf. to and fro adv., prep., n., adj., and v.
ΚΠ
13.. Evang. Nicod. 195 in Herrig Archiv LIII. 395 Sir Pilates wife..Till hir lord þus gan say Deme noght Ihesu tyll ne fra.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 11937 Þat water moght rin fra and till, Vte of þe flum al atte will.
c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Reeve's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 119 How þt the hoper wagges til and fra.
2. = to prep. 1 with ellipsis of the noun.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > [adverb] > until
tillc1330
up until ——1938
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 107 Þe gode erle of Aniowe, of Mald herd he say Fulle richely to trowe tille tok his way.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Fairf. 14) l. 14523 & þer-to gode couenande þai hiȝt. & iche an tille þaire trauþis pliȝt.
3. Used to qualify to, into, unto. In Wyclif rendering Latin usque (ad, in), even, as far as, on (to).
ΚΠ
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Acts xxviii. 24 Fro the moru til to euentijde.
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Deeds xxiii. 1 I with al good conscience haue lyued bifore God, til into [L. usque in] this day.
a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Jer. li 9 The doom therof cam til to [L. usque ad, 1382 vnto] heuenes.
14.. in Hist. Coll. Citizen London (Camden) 90 The sayde Adam was mayre tylle unto the xxj day of Marche.
a1500 (?a1400) Sir Torrent of Portyngale (1887) l. 992 That thys fynd hym yeld A-non to me tyll [rhyme wyle].
1577 J. Knewstub Confut. Heresies (1579) 70 b Euen so remember the suffering of Christ..til vnto his comming.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.11452
n.21672
n.31398n.41611n.51647n.61596v.1a850v.2c1290v.3?c1225
v.41841
prep.conj.adv.a800