Dictionary

tidely en · ADV

Etymology

From Middle English tidely, tydely, tidliche, from Old English tīdlīċe (“for a time; temporarily; conveniently; seasonably; in time; early; soon; quickly”), equivalent to tide + -ly. Cognate with Saterland Frisian tiedelk, Dutch tijdelijk, German Low German tiedelk, German zeitlich, Danish tidlig, Icelandic tíðlegur.

Meanings

1. (rare) Cleverly; smartly; bravely; quickly; speedily; soon.
   • So many to die, the year turns tidely, time takes all, [...] 2014, Rosalind J. Lee, Poetry for the Thoughtfull:
   • You have lately (as appeareth by your Indices of sicknesse, and so many other novels) very tidely playde the bees part; and so continue as you love me, or your selfe; [...] 1592, Gabriel Harvey, A New Letter of Notable Contents:
2. (of ocean tides) At each tide; each time the tide comes in; tidally.
   • On stones and sea-weeds between tide-marks. Sometimes parasitical on Zostera marina. It is very abundant on some parts of the Solway at low-water mark on a stony bottom, and becomes a great nuisance to the stake-nets, which require to be tidely cleared from the quantity that is caught by them. 1847, George Johnston, A history of the British Zoophytes:
   • The discovery of an Iron Age settlement at Balad Seet, an oasis on the northern side of the Hajar mountains which was tidely connected with Hamra on its southern side is of major surprise. 2005, Stefan Siebert, Analysis of Arid Agricultural Systems Using Quantitative Image Analysis, Modeling and Geographical Information Systems:
   • Their favourite stations are where there is a large extent of sandy shore, interspersed with scalps, or beds of muscles or other shell fish. These are generally uneven in their surface, or are interspersed with pools, which contain, breed, or tidely receive from the ocean, various molusca and marine animals, furnishing a favourite food to the birds. 1842, Sir William Jardine, The Natural History of the Birds of Great Britain and Ireland:

Forms

Relateds

tidily