often attributive
1
plural tiles or tile
a
: a flat or curved piece of fired clay, stone, or concrete used especially for roofs, floors, or walls and often for ornamental work
b
: a hollow or a semicircular and open earthenware or concrete piece used in constructing a drain
c
: a hollow building unit made of fired clay or of shale or gypsum
2
: tiling
3
: a thin piece of resilient material (such as cork, linoleum, or rubber) used especially for covering floors or walls
4
: a thin piece resembling a ceramic tile that usually bears a mark or letter and is used as a playing piece in a board game (such as mah-jongg)
5
: hat
especially
: a high silk hat
tiled; tiling
tiler
noun
Examples of tile in a Sentence
Noun
We installed new tile in the kitchen.
Verb
We hired him to tile the bathroom floor.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025
Concave tiles, which curve inward, and convex tiles, which curve outward, are installed at different levels along the seawall.
—Sara Pezeshk, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2025
Have three Settlements with at least three Navigable River tiles each.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tile
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Noun
The only decor is floor-to-ceiling mirrors, which produce a mesmerizing infinity effect, polished marble tiles nodding to the clothes’ Made in Italy bona fides, and a magazine display.
—Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025
Concave tiles, which curve inward, and convex tiles, which curve outward, are installed at different levels along the seawall.
—Sara Pezeshk, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
Instead, tile the bottom half of a wall and apply wallpaper on the upper half for a less expensive option.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2025
Have three Settlements with at least three Navigable River tiles each.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tile
Cite this Entry
“Tile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tile. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tile
1 of 2 noun1
plural tiles or tile
a
: a flat or curved piece (as of fired clay, stone, or concrete) used especially for roofs or floors
b
: a pipe of earthenware used for a drain
2
: a thin piece of material (as linoleum or rubber) for covering floors or walls
tile
2 of 2 verb
tiled; tiling
: to cover with tiles
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