tiller
tiller Lexical Profile
tiller Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A motorized machine, hand tool, or person that cultivates and prepares soil for planting.
"The gardener used a rotary tiller to break up the hard clay before planting the vegetable seeds."
A lever attached to the rudder of a boat or ship, used for steering.
"The captain pushed the tiller hard to port to avoid colliding with the submerged rocks."
A secondary shoot or stem that grows from the base of a grass or cereal plant.
"Wheat farmers closely monitor the number of tillers per plant to estimate the potential grain yield."
• verb
To produce secondary shoots or stems from the base of the plant (especially of grasses or cereals).
"The winter wheat began to tiller profusely after the spring rains arrived."
• Rhymes for tiller
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from multiple distinct origins: the agricultural tool from Old English 'tilian' (to labor, till) + '-er'; the nautical term from Old French 'telier' (weaver's beam, cross-bow stock); and the botanical term from Old English 'telgor' (twig or shoot).