tidal

adjective

tid·​al ˈtī-dᵊl How to pronounce tidal (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, caused by, or having tides
tidal cycles
tidal erosion
b
: periodically rising and falling or flowing and ebbing
tidal waters
2
: dependent (as to the time of arrival or departure) upon the state of the tide
a tidal steamer
tidally adverb

Examples of tidal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the Fundy Discovery Site, tourists can witness a tidal bore, or a wave that moves upstream in a river. Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2025 Large lifts continued the operation through Tuesday evening, with unloading expected for Wednesday morning, depending on environmental and tidal conditions, authorities said. Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025 Officials said their work might depend upon the wind and tidal conditions in the river, where the aircraft crashed last Wednesday night after colliding as the plane was about to land at nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport. Serkan Gurbuz, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025 When a star ventures too close to a supermassive black hole, the tremendous gravitational influence of that cosmic titan generates tidal forces that squash the star horizontally while stretching it vertically. Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tidal

Word History

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tidal was in 1807

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Cite this Entry

“Tidal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tidal. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

tidal

adjective
tid·​al ˈtīd-ᵊl How to pronounce tidal (audio)
: of or relating to tides : rising and falling or flowing and ebbing at regular times

Medical Definition

tidal

adjective
tid·​al ˈtīd-ᵊl How to pronounce tidal (audio)
: of, relating to, or constituting tidal air
interference with the normal tidal exchange of the lungsF. R. Mautz & R. M. Hosler

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