tile
tile
UK[taɪl]US[taɪl]
n
a thin, flat piece of baked clay, plastic, etc., used for covering roofs, floors, or walls
n
a thin, flat piece used in certain games (e.g., mahjong, Scrabble)
v
to cover a surface with tiles
Etymology
the word "tile" originates from the old english word "tigele," which referred to a roofing tile made of baked clay. this old english term was borrowed from latin "tegula," a derivative of the verb "tegere," meaning "to cover." the semantic progression is direct and concrete, moving from the general concept of a covering object to the specific manufactured item. the modern english meaning retains this core idea of a thin, manufactured piece used for covering surfaces, while also extending by analogy to similar flat pieces used in board games.
Analysis
the word is a simplex form. it functions as a complete lexical unit.
Examples
the bathroom floor was covered with white ceramic tiles.
we need to replace several broken tiles on the roof.
she drew a blank tile from the bag during the scrabble game.