Springtides

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The high tides that occur when the gravitational forces of the moon and sun align, leading to greater tidal ranges
2. A phenomenon characterized by increased tidal fluctuations resulting from the alignment of the moon and sun in relation to Earth
3. The elevated tidal movement experienced during the new and full moon phases when gravitational pull is strongest

Etymology: Spring tides have nothing to do with the season. The "spring" is an old sense of the verb "spring" meaning to rise up or well up, as in a spring of water or a sprung leaf, so a spring tide is one that surges high. The sense is recorded in English from the 1400s, and it is the same root that gives us the verb meaning to leap. The tide is driven by the Moon's pull, and twice a month, at new and full Moon, the Sun and Moon line up with Earth and their gravitational forces combine. The result is the largest range between high and low water. These tides occur at both new and full Moon, so they come several times a year in every season, not just in spring. The word "tide" itself traces back to Old English "tīd", meaning time or a period, and only later came to mean the rise and fall of the sea. Spring tides are therefore, in origin, "rising times" of the sea, with the season playing no part at all.