subway tile

noun

A style of white glazed ceramic tile, as used on the walls of the New York City subway stations in the early twentieth century, especially the 3" × 6" size then used.

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Meanings

nounsubway tile (plural subway tiles)

plural subway tiles

  1. A style of white glazed ceramic tile, as used on the walls of the New York City subway stations in the early twentieth century, especially the 3" × 6" size then used.

Origin

From the tile used on the turn-of-the-century NYC subway.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

subway tile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subway%20tile

MLA

“subway tile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subway%20tile. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “subway tile,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subway%20tile.

Source: subway tile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.