tine

CEFRB2

/taɪn/

noun · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A sharp point on a fork or similar tool.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A small branch, especially on an antler or horn.

Examples

  • A tine is a sharp point on a fork or a similar pointed tool.

  • The fork had a bent tine that needed to be straightened.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A wild vetch or tare.

  2. A spike or point on an implement or tool, especially a prong of a fork or a tooth of a comb.

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. small, diminutive

More examples

In context

  • The fork has four long tines used to pick up pieces of food.

  • Sitting at the table one day, I held the fork in my left hand and pierced a piece of fried chicken. I put the knife through the second tine, as we had been strictly taught, and began to saw against the bone.

  • The tines of the fork were quite evidently of iron or steel, the girl did not know which, while the handle and the spoon were of the same material as the smaller vessels.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The metal fork's blank was bent after it fell on the hard floor.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English tine, alteration of Middle English tinde, tind, from Old English tind, from Proto-West Germanic *tind, Proto-Germanic *tindaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dénts (“tooth, peg”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Tiende, Tiene (“prong, tine”), German Zind, Zint (“prong”). Compare also the related English tind and German Zinne.