till

till¹

preposition & conj. less formal way of saying until.

Origin

OE til, of Gmc origin (not, as is commonly assumed, a shortened form of until).

Usage

Although till and until are generally interchangeable, till is usually considered to be more informal and occurs less frequently than until in writing. Until also tends to be the natural choice at the beginning of a sentence: until ten years ago, the drug was used as an illegal stimulant.

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till²

noun a cash register or drawer for money in a shop, bank, or restaurant.

Origin

ME (in the sense 'drawer or compartment for valuables'): of unknown origin.

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till³

verb prepare and cultivate (land) for crops.

Derivatives

tillable adjective

tillage noun

Origin

OE tilian 'strive for, obtain by effort', of Gmc origin; ult. related to till¹.

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till⁴

noun Geology boulder clay or other sediment deposited by melting glaciers or ice sheets.

Origin

C17 (orig. Scots, denoting shale): of unknown origin.