Springtide

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A phase characterized by an increase in tide levels that results from the gravitational influences of both the sun and moon during their alignment occurs at new or full moons
2. This concept refers to the pronounced rise in ocean tides that takes place when the sun and moon align, specifically occurring during new and full moon phases
3. An event marked by higher-than-usual ocean tides caused by the combined gravitational pull of the sun and moon during the new and full moon

Etymology: Springtide is one of those words where the surprise is in the first half. "Spring" here has nothing to do with the season or with bouncing back; it refers to the "springing" or rising of the sea, the tide that leaps up unusually high. The "-tide" ending is the Old English "tīd," meaning time, season or tide, which is why the same suffix appears in words like Christmastide and Eastertide. The compound is simply spring plus tide, built in English from those two native parts. Its sense is tied to the moon and sun: at new and full moon, their gravitational pulls line up and combine, so the water rises higher than usual. Sailors and coastal people noticed this long before anyone explained the mechanism, and the word records that observation rather than any idea of seasonal renewal.

Synonyms: spring tide, high tide