tile

UK: /ˈtaɪl/ US: /taɪl/ ,(tīl)

Inflections of 'tile' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

tiles

v 3rd person singular

tiling

v pres p

tiled

v past

tiled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

tile /taɪl/   n., v., tiled, til•ing. 
n. 

1. Building a piece of baked clay, used for various purposes, as in forming a roof covering, etc.:
   [countable] cracked and dirty tiles on the wall.
2. Building [countable] any of various similar slabs or pieces, as of linoleum or metal.
3. Building tiles thought of as a group:
   [uncountable] a floor of tile or marble.

v. [~ + object]

4. Building to cover with or as if with tiles:
   a tiled roof.

til•er, n. [countable]
til•ing, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tile (tīl),  n., v., tiled, til•ing. 

n. 

1. Building a thin slab or bent piece of baked clay, sometimes painted or glazed, used for various purposes, as to form one of the units of a roof covering, floor, or revetment.
2. Building any of various similar slabs or pieces, as of linoleum, stone, rubber, or metal.
3. Building tiles collectively.
4. a pottery tube or pipe used for draining land.
5. Building Also called hollow tile. any of various hollow or cellular units of burnt clay or other materials, as gypsum or cinder concrete, for building walls, partitions, floors, and roofs, or for fireproofing steelwork or the like.
6. Informal Terms a stiff hat or high silk hat.

v.t. 

7. Building to cover with or as with tiles.

• Latin tēgula
• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English tīgele (cognate with German Ziegel)

tile′like′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tile / taɪl/ noun

1. a flat thin slab of fired clay, rubber, linoleum, etc, usually square or rectangular and sometimes ornamental, used with others to cover a roof, floor, wall, etc
2. a short pipe made of earthenware, concrete, or plastic, used with others to form a drain
3. tiles collectively
4. a rectangular block used as a playing piece in mah jong and other games
5. on the tiles ⇒ on a spree, esp of drinking or debauchery

verb

1. (transitive) to cover with tiles

Etymology: Old English tīgele, from Latin tēgula; related to German Ziegel

ˈtiler noun