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till

US //ˈtɪɫ// UK //tˈɪl// till
  1. 1 until (prep.)
    A2 Elementary

    up to a certain time.

    up to the time of; used to indicate the end of a period of time.

    Example

    We waited at the station till the last train arrived at midnight.

    Example

    The negotiations continued late into the evening, with neither side willing to compromise till the mediator suggested a break.
    Pitfall
    I will stay till the Monday.
    I will stay till Monday.

    Do not use 'the' before days of the week when using 'till' to show a deadline.

  2. 2 until the time that (conj.)
    A2 Elementary

    up to the time when something happens.

    up to the time that; used to connect a main clause to a subordinate clause of time.

    Example

    Don't open the oven door till the cake is finished baking.

    Example

    The researchers monitored the chemical reaction closely till the solution finally changed from clear to a deep crimson.
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  1. 3 cash register (n.)
    B1 Intermediate British English

    the machine or drawer in a shop where money is kept.

    a cash register or the drawer within it used for storing money from transactions.

    Example

    The shop assistant put the twenty-pound note into the till and gave me change.

    Example

    At the end of the shift, the manager counted the contents of the till to ensure the receipts matched the physical cash.
  2. 4 to prepare soil (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to prepare land for growing crops by turning the soil.

    to prepare and cultivate land for crops by ploughing or harrowing.

    Example

    The farmers began to till the fields as soon as the ground thawed.

    Example

    Generations of families have tilled this rocky soil, struggling to produce a harvest against the harsh coastal winds.
  3. 5 glacial sediment (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a mix of rocks, clay, and sand left behind by a glacier.

    unsorted glacial sediment consisting of a mixture of clay, sand, pebbles, and boulders.

    Example

    The melting ice left behind a thick layer of till across the valley.

    Example

    Geologists analysed the composition of the glacial till to determine the direction of the ice sheet's movement during the last ice age.

    Usage

    Usually functions as an uncountable noun in geological contexts.
Origin

* As an English surname, reduced from a pet form of Matilda. * As a north German surname, spelling variant of Thiel.

Idioms3 entries

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