# till

/ˈtɪɫ/ (US) · /tˈɪl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/till
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. until

preposition · CEFR A2

up to a certain time.

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

- We waited at the station till the last train arrived at midnight.
- The negotiations continued late into the evening, with neither side willing to compromise till the mediator suggested a break.

### 2. until the time that

conjunction · CEFR A2

up to the time when something happens.

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

- Don't open the oven door till the cake is finished baking.
- The researchers monitored the chemical reaction closely till the solution finally changed from clear to a deep crimson.

### 3. cash register

noun · CEFR B1 · British English

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

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

- The shop assistant put the twenty-pound note into the till and gave me change.
- At the end of the shift, the manager counted the contents of the till to ensure the receipts matched the physical cash.

### 4. to prepare soil

verb · CEFR B2

to prepare land for growing crops by turning the soil.

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

- The farmers began to till the fields as soon as the ground thawed.
- Generations of families have tilled this rocky soil, struggling to produce a harvest against the harsh coastal winds.

### 5. glacial sediment

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

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

## Examples

- The shop assistant opened the till to give me change.
- The manager asked the new employee to count the cash in the till at the end of the shift.
- Modern retail systems often link the physical till directly to inventory software, updating stock levels automatically every time a barcode is scanned at the point of sale.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.