tiller

/ˈtɪlə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈɪlɚ] /ˈtɪlər/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈɪlɚ] /ˈti-lər How to pronounce tiller (audio)/ (ame, mw)

tiller — noun

  • tillersingular
  • tillersplural

1. a tool or machine that breaks up and turns over soil in a garden or field before

1.名詞B2
釋義

a tool or machine that breaks up and turns over soil in a garden or field before planting seeds or crops.

例句

Liang pulled the tiller across the garden to loosen the hard, dry soil.

pull + tiller + across (garden) — typical motion

Pedro rented a power tiller to prepare the field for spring planting.

power tiller (motorised type)

同義詞
  • rototiller

    a specific type of motorised tiller with rotating tines

  • cultivator

    a lighter machine for loosening soil between rows of plants, not for initial ground-breaking

用法筆記

Motorised versions are often called 'rototillers' or 'power tillers'. A 'hand tiller' is a manual tool with curved metal tines.

常見錯誤

❌She used a tiller to cut furrows for planting seeds.
✅She used a plow to cut furrows for planting seeds.
💡A tiller breaks up and loosens soil but does not create straight furrows; that is the job of a plow.
❌He tilled the garden with a shovel.
✅He tilled the garden with a tiller.
💡A shovel is for digging individual holes; a tiller prepares an entire area of soil.

2. a long handle or bar connected to a boat's rudder; pushing or pulling it steers

2.名詞B2
釋義

a long handle or bar connected to a boat's rudder; pushing or pulling it steers the boat to the left or the right.

例句

Lien grabbed the tiller and turned it hard to starboard to avoid the floating log.

tiller + turn + direction (steering action)

The old wooden tiller felt smooth from years of use on the fishing boat.

material + tiller: wooden tiller

同義詞
  • helm

    refers to the steering wheel or wheelhouse on larger boats, while a tiller is specifically a handle or bar

  • rudder bar

    a more technical term for the same part on aircraft, not used for boats

常見錯誤

❌He grabbed the helm of the small sailboat.
✅He grabbed the tiller of the small sailboat.
💡A helm is a steering wheel on larger boats; a tiller is a bar or handle used on small boats.

3. the position of controlling or directing an organisation, economy, or situation

3.名詞C1
釋義

the position of controlling or directing an organisation, economy, or situation — used in expressions such as 'at the tiller of' or 'take the tiller'.

例句

The finance minister took the tiller of the economy during a severe recession.

take the tiller of (figurative: assume control)

With a new CEO at the tiller, the company returned to profit within two years.

at the tiller (in charge)

同義詞
  • helm

    more common in the same figurative sense — 'at the helm' is used more often than 'at the tiller' for leadership positions

  • reins

    also figurative ('take the reins'), suggests hands-on management rather than strategic direction

文法句型

at the tiller of [something]

用法筆記

Almost always appears in fixed figurative phrases such as 'at the tiller of', 'take the tiller', or 'hold the tiller'. Not used literally.

4. a person who prepares and cultivates soil for growing crops, especially by hand

4.名詞B2
釋義

a person who prepares and cultivates soil for growing crops, especially by hand or with simple tools.

例句

Old Chen, a village tiller for forty years, could judge soil quality just by rubbing it between his fingers.

tiller in [location] for [time] — pattern for describing experience

For generations, the tillers of this valley have grown rice on the terraced hillsides.

tillers of [region] — pattern for specifying location

同義詞
  • farmer

    broader in meaning; a farmer may own land and manage a business, while a tiller specifically works the soil

  • cultivator

    more technical in agriculture; also refers to the machine

  • plowman

    specifically someone who uses a plow rather than a tiller tool

用法筆記

More commonly replaced by 'farmer' or 'cultivator' in everyday English. 'Tiller' has a slightly old-fashioned or literary tone when referring to a person.

5. in grasses and grain crops such as wheat or barley, a new stem that emerges wher

5.名詞C2
釋義

in grasses and grain crops such as wheat or barley, a new stem that emerges where the main stem meets the root system, at or just below ground level.

例句

Each rice plant produced several tillers, leading to a much larger harvest.

The wheat tillers grew strong and sturdy after the spring rains arrived.

wheat tillers (specific crop + tiller)

同義詞
  • shoot

    a general term for any new growth on a plant; less specific than 'tiller'

  • sprout

    emphasises the earliest stage of growth from a seed or root

用法筆記

A technical term used mainly in agriculture and botany. The number of tillers a cereal plant produces directly affects the final crop yield.

常見錯誤

❌The rose bush grew new tillers in spring.
✅The rose bush grew new shoots in spring.
💡'Tiller' is used almost exclusively for grasses and cereal crops, not for garden flowers or trees.

6. a young tree, especially one that has grown from a seed or a sapling stage.

6.名詞C2
釋義

a young tree, especially one that has grown from a seed or a sapling stage.

例句

The forestry worker tagged each oak tiller and recorded its height for the reforestation project.

oak tiller (young tree in forestry context)

Deer had nibbled the tender tops off every maple tiller in the forest nursery.

maple tiller (specific tree species + young tree)

同義詞
  • sapling

    the common everyday term for a young tree; much more widely used than 'tiller'

  • seedling

    a very young tree that has just grown from a seed, smaller than a tiller

用法筆記

A fairly uncommon usage. 'Sapling' is the preferred everyday word for a young tree; 'tiller' in this sense appears mainly in older or specialised forestry writing.

常見錯誤

❌I planted a tiller in my garden.
✅I planted a sapling in my garden.
💡'Sapling' is the ordinary word for a young tree; 'tiller' in this sense is rare and specialised.

tiller — verb