Word
tyne
Phoneticstyne
/ˈtaɪn/
Definition
n. one of the sharp, pointed parts of a fork or a deer's antler. You use this word when talking about the individual metal teeth on a kitchen tool.
n. a prong or sharp point, specifically one of the metal projections on a fork or a branch of an antler.
Examples
“One tyne of the fork is bent.”
“The gardener used a pitchfork with four sharp tynes to move the heavy pile of hay into the barn.”
“The majestic stag displayed a massive set of antlers, with each individual tyne polished smooth from years of rubbing against the bark of ancient oak trees.”
Examples
simple
“One tyne of the fork is bent.”
contextual
“The gardener used a pitchfork with four sharp tynes to move the heavy pile of hay into the barn.”
complex
“The majestic stag displayed a massive set of antlers, with each individual tyne polished smooth from years of rubbing against the bark of ancient oak trees.”
Usage
Commonly spelled 'tine' in modern English; 'tyne' is an older or variant spelling.
Pitfall
the fork's teeths
the fork's tines
While 'teeth' is sometimes used informally, 'tines' (or 'tynes') is the specific technical term for the prongs of a fork.
Etymology
From Old English Tīna or Tīne, attested as a component of the place name Tinanmuþe (“Tynemouth”), possibly from Proto-Celtic tīn (“river”), from Proto-Indo-European teh₂- (“to flow”). As such, possibly a doublet of Teign and Tenna. Also compare Latin Tina.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/tyne