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Tilde - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

A tilde is a wavy line (~) used in writing. It can indicate approximation, such as ~30 people, or show nasalization in some languages like Spanish, as in señor.

tilde

/ˈtɪldə/ /ˈtɪldə/

Definition:

A diacritical mark (~) used in various languages to modify pronunciation or indicate nasalization.

Synonyms:

squiggle, wave, accent mark

Part of Speech:

noun

Antonyms:

straight line, plain text

Common Collocations:

Spanish tilde, swung dash, keyboard symbol, mathematical notation

Derivatives:

tildes, tilded

Usage Tips:

Use the tilde above letters like 'ñ' in Spanish or for approximations in math (e.g., ~100).

Common Phrases:

swung dash, Spanish ñ, roughly equal to

Etymology:

From Latin *titulus* ("title"), later used in medieval manuscripts to abbreviate words.

Examples:

  • 1. The tilde appears in the word "mañana."
  • 2. She added a tilde to the "n" in "señor."
  • 3. The symbol ~ is called a tilde.
  • 4. In math, ~ means "approximately."

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