Word Direct Answers

What does "tiller" mean?

Tiller: (Bot.) (a) A shoot of a plant, springing from the root or bottom of the original stalk; a sucker. (b) A sprout or young tree that springs from a root or stump.

Additional senses

  1. 2.A young timber tree. [Prov. Eng.] Evelyn.
  2. 3.To put forth new shoots from the root, or round the bottom of the original stalk; as, wheat or rye tillers; some spread plants by tillering. [Sometimes written tillow.]
  3. 4.(Naut.) A lever of wood or metal fitted to the rudder head and used for turning side to side in steering. In small boats hand power is used; in large vessels, the tiller is moved by means of mechanical appliances. See Illust. of Rudder. Cf. 2d Helm, 1.
  4. 5.The stalk, or handle, of a crossbow; also, sometimes, the bow itself. [Obs.] You can shoot in a tiller. Beau. & Fl.
  5. 6.The handle of anything. [Prov. Eng.]
  6. 7.A small drawer; a till. Dryden. Tiller rope (Naut.), a rope for turning a tiller. In a large vessel it forms the connection between the fore end of the tiller and the steering wheel.

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