till
1 (tĭl)
[Middle English tilen, from Old English tilian.]
transitive verb: tilled, till·ing, tills.
- To prepare (land) for the raising of crops, as by plowing and harrowing; cultivate.
derivatives
- tilĺa·ble
- adjective
till
2 (tĭl)
[Middle English, from Old English til, from Old Norse.]
prep.
- Until.
conj.
- Until.
usage note
Usage Note: Till and until are generally interchangeable in both writing and speech, though as the first word in a sentence until is usually preferred: Until you get that paper written, don't even think about going to the movies. · Till is actually the older word, with until having been formed by the addition to it of the prefix un–, meaning “up to.” In the 18th century the spelling 'till became fashionable, as if till were a shortened form of until. Although 'till is now nonstandard, 'til is sometimes used in this way and is considered acceptable, though it is etymologically incorrect.
till
3 (tĭl)
[Middle English tille.]
noun
- A drawer, small chest, or compartment for money, as in a store.
- A supply of money; a purse.
till
4 (tĭl)
[Origin unknown.]
noun
- Glacial drift composed of an unconsolidated, heterogeneous mixture of clay, sand, pebbles, cobbles, and boulders.
