tile

n. [ OE. tile, tigel, AS. tigel, tigol, fr. L. tegula, from tegere to cover. See Thatch, and cf. Tegular. ] 1. A plate, or thin piece, of baked clay, used for covering the roofs of buildings, for floors, for drains, and often for ornamental mantel works. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Arch.) (a) A small slab of marble or other material used for flooring. (b) A plate of metal used for roofing. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Metal.) A small, flat piece of dried earth or earthenware, used to cover vessels in which metals are fused. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A draintile. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A stiff hat. [ Colloq. ] Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tile drain, a drain made of tiles. --
Tile earth, a species of strong, clayey earth; stiff and stubborn land. [ Prov. Eng. ] --
Tile kiln, a kiln in which tiles are burnt; a tilery. --
Tile ore (Min.), an earthy variety of cuprite. --
Tile red, light red like the color of tiles or bricks. --
Tile tea, a kind of hard, flat brick tea. See Brick tea, under Brick. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Tiled p. pr. & vb. n. Tiling. ] 1. To cover with tiles; as, to tile a house. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: To cover, as if with tiles. [ 1913 Webster ]

The muscle, sinew, and vein,
Which tile this house, will come again. Donne. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To drain by means of tiles; to furnish with a tile drain. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A large, edible, deep-water food fish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) more or less thickly covered with large, round, yellow spots. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It was discovered off the Eastern coast of the United States in 1880, and was abundant in 1881, but is believed to have become extinct in 1882. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Of uncertain origin, but probably from E. tile, n. ] A doorkeeper or attendant at a lodge of Freemasons. [ Written also tyler. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A man whose occupation is to cover buildings with tiles. Bancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Tileries [ From Tile; cf. F. tuilerie, fr. tuile a tile, L. tegula. ] A place where tiles are made or burned; a tile kiln. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Geissois, having seeds overlapping like tiles on a roof. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]