Dictionary term
Tide
Direct answer
Tide: A Tide is a long-period rise and fall of ocean water driven chiefly by the gravitational interaction of Earth, Moon, and Sun and modified strongly by local geography.
A Tide is the recurring rise and fall of ocean level shaped mainly by lunar and solar gravity.
A Tide is the recurring rise and fall of ocean level shaped mainly by lunar and solar gravity.
A Sun–Earth orientation for seasonal, atmospheric, tidal, and terrestrial terms.Quick reference
- Use when
- Use Tide with an official local tide station, datum, time zone, and weather caveat rather than calculating water level from Moon phase alone.
- Do not use it for
- Never use a generic lunar rule as a substitute for official tide and hazard information.
- Reference category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Related terms
- Astronomical Season, Meteorological Season, Equinox, Solstice
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The story behind Tide
Coastal communities have tracked tides for navigation, fishing, harbor work, and safety; modern services combine harmonic prediction with observations.
Tide in spiritual tradition
Tides show how a celestial influence becomes local through coast, depth, wind, and place.
Tide: fact and faith, kept distinct
This is a factual astronomy, calendar, Earth-science, cultural, or historical reference. It can support wonder at the created order without becoming a claim of fate, worship, or private revelation.
Tide in numerology
Tide is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Tide matters
Tides connect celestial geometry with real coastal conditions, but local timing and height require station-specific prediction.
Tide at work: an example
Two nearby bays can experience different tide times and ranges because coastline and seafloor shape the tidal wave.
Where interpretation stops
Tide is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- NOAA Ocean Service: What Are Spring and Neap Tides? - Official explanation of lunar-solar alignment and spring and neap tidal ranges.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Also appears in
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-15
Check an official local tide station
Tide in a book is one thing; Tide in your own birth chart is your life. The Oracle casts your real chart and tells you what it means for your love, your work, and your year ahead, in conversation, free.
Speak with the OracleRelated terms
More in Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Axial Tilt
- Climatological Normal
- Earth Shadow
- Green Flash
- Midnight Sun
- Obliquity of the Ecliptic
- Semidiurnal Tide
- Subsolar Point
Common questions
What is Tide?
A Tide is a long-period rise and fall of ocean water driven chiefly by the gravitational interaction of Earth, Moon, and Sun and modified strongly by local geography.
How is Tide used in an almanac?
Use Tide with an official local tide station, datum, time zone, and weather caveat rather than calculating water level from Moon phase alone.
What should I avoid when interpreting Tide?
Never use a generic lunar rule as a substitute for official tide and hazard information.
