Tilting
/ˈtɪltɪŋ/noun
The act of slanting or leaning to one side; in historical usage, also a joust or tournament on horseback.
Did you know?The tournament sense of tilt comes from the idea of a sloped barrier or board used in jousting, so a word for a simple angle was once tied to ritualized medieval combat.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
tyltan
“to totter, sway, or make unsteady”
Middle English
ME
tilten
“to incline or lean; later, to joust or engage in a tournament”
14th Century
English
tilt
“a sloping board or barrier used in jousting; also the act of charging in a tournament”
16th Century
English
tilting
“the practice of jousting or the act of slanting”
Modern English
English
tilting
“slanting, leaning, or engaging in a tilt/joust”