Spring Tide
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The tide that springs or leaps or swells up. These full tides occur a day or two after the new and full moon, when the attrac- tion of both sun and moon act in a direct line.
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 “Spring Tide” mean?
The tide that springs or leaps or swells up. These full tides occur a day or two after the new and full moon, when the attrac- tion of both sun and moon act in a direct line.
Is “Spring Tide” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.