What does till mean?
Till is a compact and versatile English word with several established meanings. Before a noun or clause, it is a preposition meaning “up to” a particular time: the café stays open till midnight, and the road was blocked till morning. Before a clause, it works as a conjunction meaning “until”: wait till the storm passes. In shops and businesses, a till is a cash register or money drawer, and the clerk rang up the items and put the payment in the till. In an agricultural context, to till the land or soil means to cultivate and prepare it for planting. The temporal meanings are common in both British and American English, although formal writing may favor “until” or “before.” The noun is especially associated with British and Irish usage, while “cash register” is often preferred in the United States. Together, these senses make till a useful example of how one familiar word can serve as a time marker, a piece of shop equipment, and a verb associated with farming.
Up to a specified time or point.
"The exhibition remains open till the end of the month."
Common in both formal and informal British and American English.
Up to the time that something happens.
"She waited till the bus finally arrived."
Frequent in everyday speech; formal writing often uses “until” or “before” instead.
A cash register or drawer in which money is kept.
"The shopkeeper put the notes in the till."
Especially common in British and Irish English; “cash register” is more frequent in American English.
To cultivate or prepare land for growing crops.
"They till the fields before sowing the seed."
A traditional agricultural verb, commonly used in literal descriptions of farming and in literary contexts.
The plural is grammatically regular but uncommon; business settings more often speak of cash registers or individual counters.
"The department store had several tills near the entrance."
One little word can mean a deadline, a cash drawer, or the ancient work of preparing soil for a crop.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does till come from?
The temporal preposition and conjunction descend from Old English til, meaning “to” or “up to,” and are related to cognates in other Germanic languages. The agricultural verb comes from Old English tilian, meaning “to cultivate,” while the cash-drawer noun was borrowed from Dutch, where till denotes a box or drawer for money. The English forms developed distinct grammatical functions from these older sources.
Related word forms
How till is actually used
The temporal use is standard in formal and informal British and American English. As a conjunction, “till” is especially common in speech, while formal writing often prefers “until” or “before.” The agricultural verb is traditional and literary but remains standard. The noun “till” is used for a shop’s cash register or money drawer; it is particularly common in British English, while “cash register” is more usual in American English.