tile

tile — noun

1. a piece of hard, flat material such as fired clay, ceramic, or stone that is arr

1.nounB1
Definition

a piece of hard, flat material such as fired clay, ceramic, or stone that is arranged with others in a pattern to form the surface of a roof, wall, floor, or worktop.

Example

Devika chose blue ceramic tiles for her new bathroom floor.

collocation: ceramic tiles / bathroom tiles

A few roof tiles came loose during the storm and had to be replaced.

collocation: roof tiles

Common collocations
  • ceramic tile
  • floor tile
  • roof tile
  • wall tile
  • porcelain tile
  • clay tile
  • glass tile
  • bathroom tile
  • kitchen tile
  • lay tiles
  • install tiles
  • cracked tile
  • broken tile
Synonyms
  • slab

    a slab is much larger and thicker than a tile, used for paving paths or as a countertop

  • flagstone

    a large, flat piece of stone used for outdoor paving, thicker than a typical tile

Grammar Patterns

a tile

tiles

the tile

Usage Note

The type of tile is usually specified by its material (ceramic tile, stone tile) or its location (floor tile, roof tile, wall tile).

Common Mistakes

The wall is made of tiles.
The wall is made of bricks.
Tiles are flat pieces used to cover the surface of a wall; bricks are thick blocks used to build the wall itself.

2. a flat piece with a letter or symbol on it, used in games including Scrabble and

2.nounB1
Definition

a flat piece with a letter or symbol on it, used in games including Scrabble and Mah‑Jongg.

Example

Diego drew seven letter tiles from the bag to start the Scrabble game.

collocation: letter tiles / Scrabble tiles

Tamar arranged her Mah‑Jongg tiles face‑up on the table in front of her.

collocation: Mah‑Jongg tiles

Common collocations
  • letter tile
  • Scrabble tile
  • Mah‑Jongg tile
  • game tile
  • draw a tile
  • place a tile
  • exchange tiles
  • domino tile
  • tile rack
Synonyms
  • piece

    a more general term that covers any game token, not specifically the flat rectangular kind

  • token

    a generic term for any object used to represent a player or item in a game

  • domino

    a specific type of game tile with dots on it

Grammar Patterns

a tile

tiles

the tile

Idioms

a night on the tiles

idiom

an evening spent enjoying yourself in bars, clubs, or other lively places, usually returning home late.

After their final exams, the group went out on the tiles until late.

Nicholas looked exhausted the next day — he had clearly had a night on the tiles.

have a night on the tiles

idiom

To spend an evening going out and having fun, usually until late at night.

After finishing her exams, Maya had a night on the tiles with friends.

Did you have a night on the tiles after the company party?

tile — verb

Word family

  • tiled
    adjectiveB1
  • tiler
    nounB2
  • tiling
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Tile, slab, brick, panel, and flagstone all describe flat, hard pieces of material used in construction, but they differ in shape, purpose, and material. A tile is thin, usually square or rectangular, and laid in rows to cover a surface such as a wall, floor, or roof. A slab is much larger and thicker, used for paving garden paths or as a kitchen countertop. A brick is thicker than a tile, rectangular, and used mainly for building walls, not for covering them as a surface. A panel is a broad, often rectangular section of wood, glass, or metal that forms part of a larger surface, such as a wall panel or door panel. A flagstone (or flag) is a large, flat piece of stone used for outdoor paving. For example, you tile a bathroom wall, pave a path with flagstones, build a house with bricks, and install a granite slab as a worktop.

tileslabbrickpanelflagstone

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ceramic tile
  • floor tile
  • wall tile
  • roof tile
  • porcelain tile
  • clay tile
  • Scrabble tile
  • Mah‑Jongg tile
  • letter tile
  • game tile

Phrases

  • tile the floor
  • tile the roof
  • tile the wall
  • a night on the tiles

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Tile comes from the Latin word tegula, which meant 'a tile for covering a roof.' The Latin root tegere means 'to cover,' which is fitting — tiles are used to cover and protect surfaces. The word entered English through Old French tille or tuile.