a table that
lists the
time of high water at a
place or places on each
day during a
particular period. Because of tideraces which had been caused by a storm and were going backwardsTaccording to the
tide tables, and so onTthe depth of water over a shoal just alongside of me was not twenty feet, but was one inch!
- Study and Intention (18 Aug. 66) a
chart that
lists the daily predictions of the
times and heights of the tides for specific dates and places. Tides are the
rise and
fall of the ocean waters of the earth. These are primarily caused by the moon's gravitational attraction or
pull on these waters as it revolves around the earth. (The
sun also exerts a
pull on the earth, but this is less than the moon's due to its greater distance from earth.) The
effect of such tidal changes are most important where oceans
meet land
masses, as the
rise and
fall of the water can
affect the
ability of ships to
pass through normally shallow water, the
ability of waste and sewage to be carried out to
sea from a
harbor during the
movement from high to low
tide, etc. Because the
movement of the
sun and moon are predictable, the tides can also be predicted. Thus the tides for each upcoming year are figured out and published in
tables, arranged in columns on a
page. These
tables are published in
different editions by
different countries. In the US, for
example, the National Ocean
Survey (a
government agency which maintains various
stations throughout the US and other areas to observe and
measure the tides) annually publishes
Tide Tables. These
list tides for approximately 172
principal ports of the
world and 4,900 supplemental ports. Because of
tide-races which had been caused by a storm and were going backwards-according to the
tide tables, and so on-the depth of water over a shoal just alongside of me was not twenty feet, but was one inch!
n. a table that
lists predictions of the
times and heights of tides for specific dates and places. A
tide is the
alternate rising and
falling of the surface of an ocean or bodies of water connected with the ocean, such as gulfs, bays and rivers. As tides can
affect the
ability of ships to
pass safely into or out of areas,
tide tables are used to facilitate
navigation. They are prepared by various countries and
list the predicted heights of tides in ports, harbors and other areas, at
different times during the
day and night throughout a year.