tine

/taɪn/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈaɪn] /taɪn/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈaɪn] /ˈtīn/ (ame, mw)

tine — noun

  • tinesingular
  • tinesplural

1. any of the long, narrow, pointed pieces sticking out from the working end of a t

1.名詞C2
釋義

any of the long, narrow, pointed pieces sticking out from the working end of a tool — most commonly a kitchen fork, a hair comb, a rake, or a pitchfork — used to spear food, separate hair, or move loose material

例句

One tine of Christopher's dinner fork had bent against the edge of his plate.

collocation: tine of a fork

Dahlia ran her finger along the tines of the wooden comb to check for broken ones.

plural: tines of a comb

同義詞
  • prong

    everyday synonym; tine is the more technical term used by lexicographers and tool catalogues

  • spike

    broader; any sharp pointed piece, not limited to tools

文法句型

tine of [object]

用法筆記

Almost always countable, and frequently plural ('tines') when describing a whole tool. Common subjects/objects: forks, combs, pitchforks, rakes, harrows.

常見錯誤

❌The fork has four tooths.
✅The fork has four tines.
💡for forks, combs, and rakes, the pointed parts are called tines, not teeth or tooths.

2. a single sharp point that branches off from the main shaft of a deer's antler; h

2.名詞C2
釋義

a single sharp point that branches off from the main shaft of a deer's antler; hunters and biologists count these to estimate the animal's age

例句

The old stag in the forest reserve had ten tines on each antler, marking him as a mature buck.

plural: tines on an antler

Zola counted the tines on the elk antler hanging above the cabin door and reached fourteen.

collocation: count the tines

同義詞
  • point

    informal hunting term; 'a ten-point buck' means a deer with ten antler tines

  • snag

    regional hunting term for an unbranched antler tine

文法句型

tine of [an antler]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this is the antler-specific use. Common in hunting, conservation, and wildlife-biology writing rather than everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌The deer had twelve branches on its antlers.
✅The deer had twelve tines on its antlers.
💡branches refers to woody plants, not the points on an antler.