tiller

/ˈtɪlər/
noun
  1. A handle or lever used to turn the rudder of a boat or ship, controlling its direction.
    • He taught his daughter how to steer by moving the tiller left and right.
    • The old wooden tiller had been polished smooth by years of use.
    • The captain gripped the tiller firmly as the boat entered the narrow channel.
  2. A person who tills the soil; a farmer.
    • The tiller rose before dawn to work in the fields.
    • A skilled tiller knows when to plant and when to let the soil rest.
    • Generations of tillers have cared for this land.
  3. A machine or tool used for tilling soil, such as a rotary tiller.
    • The garden tiller made quick work of the weedy patch.
    • She pushed the tiller across the garden bed, turning the soil.
    • He rented a gas-powered tiller to break up the hard ground.