tilt

present singular third person tilts · participle present tilting · participle past tilted · past tilted

1. transitiveTo slope or incline (something); to slant.First known use 1590

   Tilt the barrel to pour out its contents.

2. intransitiveTo be at an angle.First known use 1620

   For as the Trunk of the Body, is kept from tilting forvvard by the Muſcules of the Back: So, from falling backvvard, by theſe of the Belly.

   1701, Nehemiah Grew, “Of the Use of Organized Bodies”, in Cosmologia Sacra: Or A Discourse of the Universe as It is the Creature and Kingdom of God. […], London: […] W[illiam] Rogers, S[amuel] Smith, and B[enjamin] Walford: […], →OCLC, 1st book, paragraph 18, page 27

   1 more example

   “Marge Gets A Job” opens with the foundation of the Simpson house tilting perilously to one side, making the family homestead look like the suburban equivalent of the Leaning Tower Of Pisa.

   2012 May 20, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Marge Gets A Job” (season 4, episode 7; originally aired 11/05/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 26 May 2012

3. intransitivejoustingTo charge (at someone) with a lance.

   He tilts / With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast.

   c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]

   4 more examples

   Auster and Aquilon with winged Steeds / All ſweating, tilt about the watery heauens, / With ſhiuering ſpeares enforcing thunderclaps, / And from their ſhields ſtrike flames of lightening

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene ii

   But in this tournament can no man tilt, / Except the lady he loves best be there.

   1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Enid”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 26

   Mr. Smith strongly tilts at Mr. McCarter's use of the adjective "unprepossessing" to describe the station buildings at Moniaive and elsewhere; [...].

   1944 May and June, “Notes and News: Moniaive Branch Locomotive Power”, in Railway Magazine, page 182

   At Offham, in Kent, tilting at the quintain provides a climax to the day's revels.

   1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 263

4. transitiveTo point or thrust a weapon at.

   And he should tilt her?

   c. 1609–1622?, John Fletcher, “The Womans Prize: Or, The Tamer Tamed”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

   1 more example

   I say I quarrel’d with you; / We did not tilt each other – that’s a blessing, – / Good gods! no innocent blood upon my head!

   a. 1822 (date written), John Keats, “[Tragedies.] Otho the Great: A Tragedy in Five Acts.”, in [Horace Elisha Scudder], editor, The Complete Poetical Works and Letters of John Keats, Cambridge edition, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], published 1899, →OCLC, Act V, scene v, page 189, column 1, lines 53–55

5. transitiveTo point or thrust (a weapon).

   Sons against fathers tilt the fatal lance.

   1708, John Philips, Cyder

6. To forge (something) with a tilt hammer.

   to tilt steel in order to render it more ductile

7. pinballTo 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. slangboard gamesTo enter a state of frustration and worsened performance resulting from a series of losses.

   Even the best players can tilt which can cause their performance to drop significantly. Players often tilt when they're on a losing spree or frustrated with the game.

   2022 September 2, Gökhan Çakır, Harrison Thomas, “How to get better at VALORANT”, in Dot Esports, archived from the original on 15 Mar 2023

   2 more examples

   The D.F.S. industry is still inextricably tied up in those poker roots. Players talk about "tilting" because of "variance," especially when a "fish" puts in a "donkey" lineup that ends up going crazy. (In regular American English, this translates roughly to "I am really mad because some idiot punched in some random lineup that ended up catching every conceivable break and beating me.")

   2016 January 6, Jay Caspian Kang, “How the Daily Fantasy Sports Industry Turns Fans Into Suckers”, in The New York Times Magazine, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 May 2023

   This was yet another surprising momentum swing, with Nepomniachtchi seemingly having addressed his tendency to tilt after a loss, and with Ding crashing back down to Earth after having squared the ledger in the previous game. Is this a new Nepomniachtchi, capable of digging deep and avenging losses?

   2023 April 19, Ben Tippett, “Haymakers Are Flying At The World Chess Championship”, in Defector, archived from the original on 05 Jun 2023

9. figurativelyTo modify one's approach.

   While self-checkout machines are often used alongside cashiers, labor unions say that tilting toward fully cashierless operations threatens the French way of life by encouraging American-style consumerism and automation, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

   2019 December 26, Liz Alderman, “Self-Checkout in France Sets Off Battle Over a Day of Rest”, in The New York Times

plural tilts

1. countableuncountableA slope or inclination.
2. countableuncountableThe inclination of part of the body, such as backbone, pelvis, head, etc.
3. countableuncountableartsThe controlled vertical movement of a camera, or a device to achieve this.
4. countableuncountableA jousting contest. (countable)First known use 1510

   Justs and tilts were held here weekly, while the great tourneys that occurred less often were given upon a field outside the castle wall upon the floor of the valley.

   1928, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter 11, in Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, page 139

5. countableuncountableAn attempt, run, or bid for something; commonly with a sense of bold defiance or against steep odds.

   He made a tilt at public office

   2 more examples

   It rained all Melbourne Cup day and I was left with about forty dozen Referees. The newspaper offices would only take a limited number of returns; and I took ‘the knock,’ which was a little hard, considering it was my first serious tilt at the world.

   1933, Frank Clune, Try Anything Once, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 6

   City will now make the Premier League an even bigger priority, while regrouping and planning again for what they hope will be another tilt at the Champions League next season.

   2011 December 7, Phil McNulty, “Man City 2 - 0 Bayern Munich”, in BBC Sport

6. countableuncountableA thrust, as with a lance.

   His Majesty[…]entertain'd him with the Slaughter of two or three of his Liege Subjects, whom he very dexterously put to Death with the Tilt of his Lance.

   1716 December 8 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 10. Tuesday, November 28. [1716.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC

7. countableuncountableA tilt hammer.
8. countableuncountableA penalty triggered when a player physically shakes, lifts, or bangs a pinball machine too violently in an attempt to influence the path of the ball.
9. slanguncountableboard gamesA state of frustration and worsened performance resulting from a series of losses.

   to go on tilt

   4 more examples

   In his landmark book, The Mental Game of Poker, sports psychologist Jared Tendler defines "tilt" as "anger + bad play". In short, you lose your mental equilibrium and start playing below your best, often making big mistakes. Tilt is caused by many different factors and Tendler defines seven types of tilt.

   2014 September 10, Amit Varma, “Magnus Carlsen's weakness”, in The Economic Times, Mumbai: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Sep 2014

   In his follow-up video below, ScrapComputer goes into a long list of suggestions for stopping and avoiding tilt while you play League of Legends.

   2016 February 26, Philip Kollar, “What is 'tilt' in League of Legends, and how can you avoid it?”, in Polygon, archived from the original on 01 Apr 2023

   Doing the same thing and expecting a different result can drive you insane, especially League of Legends. As you keep losing, you become tilted and get frustrated. No matter how mechanically gifted you are, it can't help ameliorate tilt.

   2019 October 15, Hawken Miller, “How to quickly climb the League of Legends ranked ladder”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 Jul 2023

   As long as you know that being consistent and sticking to a strategy in the long run, will win you money, you can avoid tilt and negative emotions.

   2022 March 16, “Online poker: from beginner to pro”, in Times of Malta, archived from the original on 21 Apr 2022

plural tilts

1. A canvas covering for carts, boats, etc.First known use 1450

   The tilt hooding the spring-cart was insecure - even the jolt from the down-and-up curving river bend near the house had brought it down twice.

   1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 253

2. Any covering overhead; especially, a tent.

   But the rain made an ass Of tilt and canvas

   a. 1669, John Denham, To Sir John Mennis, being invited from Calais to Boulogne, to eat a Pig

present singular third person tilts · participle present tilting · participle past tilted · past tilted

1. transitiveTo cover with a tilt, or awning.

1. A river in Perth and Kinross council area, Scotland, that joins the River Garry at Blair Atholl.