Definition

Adjective Having prongs or tines; usually used in combination. Describes an object that is equipped with or characterized by having one or more slender, pointed projecting parts.

Usage

The word "tined" is almost always used in combination with a number or descriptive term to specify how many prongs an object has. It is most commonly applied to utensils, tools, or natural objects like antlers.

Examples

• The waiter brought a three-tined fork for the dessert.
• Gardeners often use a long-tined rake to gather leaves.
• The old pitchfork was rusty and four-tined.
• A deer's antlers are multi-tined structures.

Advanced Usage

• Hyphenation: The combination (e.g., "two-tined," "sharp-tined") is typically hyphenated, especially when it precedes the noun it modifies.
• Figurative Use: Rarely, it can be used figuratively to describe something that branches out like prongs.
  • The lightning split into multiple-tined bolts across the sky.

Variants and Related Words

• Tine (noun): A slender pointed projecting part; a prong.
  • One tine of the fork was bent.
• Pronged (adjective): A more common synonym, also meaning having prongs.
  • A two-pronged approach to the problem.

Synonyms

• Pronged
• Branched (when referring to structure)
• Forked

Antonyms

• Blunt
• Smooth
• Unbranched

Adjective

1. having prongs or tines; usually used in combination
   • a three-tined fork