Neap Tide
Preserved but no longer current.
The tide between spring tides which attains the least height at or near the first and last quarters of the moon. The high water rises little more than half as high above the mean level as it does at spring tide, and the low water sinks about half as little below it.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Neap Tide” mean?
The tide between spring tides which attains the least height at or near the first and last quarters of the moon. The high water rises little more than half as high above the mean level as it does at spring tide, and the low water sinks about half as little below it.
Is “Neap Tide” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.