tilt

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To slope or incline (something); to slant.
2. (intransitive) To be at an angle.
3. (intransitive) To charge (at someone) with a lance.
4. (transitive) To point or thrust a weapon at.
5. (transitive) To point or thrust (a weapon).
6. To forge (something) with a tilt hammer.
7. To intentionally let the ball fall down to the drain by disabling flippers and most targets, done as a punishment to the player when the machine is nudged too violently or frequently.
8. (slang) To enter a state of frustration and worsened performance resulting from a series of losses.
9. (figuratively) To modify one's approach.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A slope or inclination.
2. (countable, uncountable) The inclination of part of the body, such as backbone, pelvis, head, etc.
3. (countable, uncountable) The controlled vertical movement of a camera, or a device to achieve this.
4. (countable, uncountable) A jousting contest. (countable)
5. (countable, uncountable) An attempt at something, such as a tilt at public office.
6. (countable, uncountable) A thrust, as with a lance.
7. (countable, uncountable) A tilt hammer.
8. (slang, uncountable) A state of frustration and worsened performance resulting from a series of losses.

Noun

1. A canvas covering for carts, boats, etc.
2. Any covering overhead; especially, a tent.

Synonyms

lean

incline

slant

tip

slope

bend

list

careen

cant

stoop

heel

joust

pitch

inclination

leaning

sway

recline

cant over

rock

🪨

be tilted

bend down

totter

argument

wobble

arguing

altercation

stagger

tilting

bank

🏦

be lopsided

be bent

rudder

awning

scion

bow

🙇

lurch

shift

disputation

dip

bias

atilt

decline

helm

flow

bent

controversy

angle

contestation

contention

head

Translations

incliner

pencher

neigen

inclinar

ladear

inclinare

piegare

inclinación

ladearse

inclinaison

neigen

inclinar

inclinarsi

κλίση

joute

Pronounced as (IPA)

/tɪlt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: tilte

Inherited from Old English: *tieltan

Cognate with Dutch: touteren

Cognate with Northern Frisian: talt

Cognate with Icelandic: tölt

Inherited from Middle English: telte

Inherited from Old English: teld

Cognate with Middle Low German: telt

Cognate with Danish: telt

Cognate with German: Zelt

Cognate with Old Norse: tjald

In summary

From Middle English tilte, from Old English *tyltan, *tieltan (“to be unsteady”), related to the adjective tealt (“unsteady”), from Proto-West Germanic *talt, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *del-, *dul- (“to shake, hesitate”), see also Dutch touteren (“to tremble”), North Frisian talt, tolt (“unstable, shaky”). Cognate with Icelandic tölt (“an ambling pace”).
The nominal sense of "a joust" appears around 1510, presumably derived from the barrier which separated the combatants, which suggests connection with tilt "covering". The modern transitive meaning is from 1590; the intransitive use appears 1620.
The sense of gaming frustration is said to originate with pinball.