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til

tihl
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Til (prep) means Up to the point in time when; used the same way as "till" or "until.". Example: “The shop is open til nine every night except Sunday.”

prep
1
Up to the point in time when; used the same way as "till" or "until."
"The shop is open til nine every night except Sunday."
"We danced til the sun came up."
"Stay til I get back, please."
noun
1
Sesame, especially the sesame plant or its seeds.
"In some regions, cooks make sweets from til and sugar."
"We sprinkled til seeds over the flatbread before baking it."
"The recipe called for a spoonful of til oil for extra nuttiness."

How to use til

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA shorter, informal spelling of "till/until"; separately, in South Asian cooking, the name for sesame.

Common mistake

Don't confuse the time-word "til" with "till" (the more standard spelling) or "'til" (an unnecessary apostrophe some writers add — style guides prefer plain "till" or "until").

Easily confused with
till → until →
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Word forms

Plural
tils
Test yourself on “til” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The shop is open _____ nine every night except Sunday.

Etymology

The time-related sense comes from Old English til ("to, until"), likely reinforced by a related Old Norse word — the same root that gives us "till." The sesame sense is unrelated and comes through Hindi/Sanskrit tila.

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

View more →
until till up to sesame

Related words

while since until till toward benny trough sesame

Frequently asked questions

What does “til” mean?
The word “til” means up to the point in time when; used the same way as "till" or "until.". In plain terms, a shorter, informal spelling of "till/until"; separately, in South Asian cooking, the name for sesame.
How do you pronounce “til”?
“Til” is pronounced tihl (/tɪl/ in IPA).
How do you use “til” in a sentence?
Here is “til” used in a sentence: “We danced til the sun came up.”
What part of speech is “til”?
Depending on how it is used, “til” can be a preposition and a noun.
Where does the word “til” come from?
The word “til” comes from Old English. The time-related sense comes from Old English til ("to, until"), likely reinforced by a related Old Norse word — the same root that gives us "till." The sesame sense is unrelated and comes through Hindi/Sanskrit tila.
Is “til” a common word?
“Til” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “til” have?
“Til” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: up to the point in time when; used the same way as "till" or "until.".
What is the difference between til, till, and until?
All three can mean "up to the point in time when": until is the standard form and safe in any context, till is also long-established and correct though a little more informal, and til is an informal variant spelling of till. In formal writing, choose until or till rather than til.
Is 'til with an apostrophe correct?
The apostrophe version 'til is widespread in informal writing and song titles, but many editors and style guides recommend against it, preferring till or until. If you want a form no one will question, use until.
Can you use til in formal writing?
It is best avoided. Til is an informal spelling, and formal writing normally uses until, or till. Reserve til for casual messages, dialogue, and other relaxed contexts.

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3 letter words Words that end with L Words that start with T

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while since until till toward benny trough sesame