tick¹ /tik/

1. The sound of a watch, clock, etc
2. A beat
3. A moment (informal)
4. A small mark (✔) used to indicate or mark off anything as checked, dealt with, required, correct, etc
5. A light tap or pat (obsolete)
6. The game of tig

1. To make a sound like a mechanical clock
2. To beat time
3. To work, be operated
4. To tap, pat (obsolete; tick and toy to dally)

1. To mark with a tick (sometimes with off)
2. To measure, record, indicate (eg time) by a ticking sound (sometimes with out)
3. To dot

ticked adjective

1. Ticked off
2. Speckled

tickˈer noun

1. Anything that ticks, esp a telegraph instrument that prints signals on a tape, or (slang) a watch
2. The heart (slang)

tickˈing noun and adjective

tick box noun

A box on a printed form or computer screen into which a tick may be inserted to show that something has been checked, dealt with, agreed to, etc

ticker tape noun

1. Paper ribbon on which a ticker prints
2. Anything similar, such as a streamer (ticker-tape welcome, etc, a welcome, etc, esp in New York, in which ticker tape, confetti, etc is thrown (through the streets) during the progress of a celebrity)

ticking-offˈ noun (slang)

A reprimand

tickˈ-tack noun

1. Ticking of a clock, etc
2. (also ticˈ-tac) bookmakers' telegraphy by arm signals
3. See also trick-track

adverb

With recurring ticking

tick-tack-toeˈ, tick-tack-tooˈ or tic-tac-toˈ noun (N American)

Noughts and crosses

tick-tickˈ noun

1. A ticking
2. /tikˈtik/ a child's word for a watch

tick-tockˈ noun

1. A ticking, as of a big clock
2. A tapping
3. /tikˈtok/ a child's word for a clock

intransitive verb

(of a clock) to tick

in two ticks

In a moment

make (someone or something) tick (informal)

1. To cause to operate or function
2. To be the driving force behind
3. To cause to behave, think, etc in a certain way

tick all the (right) boxes (informal)

To fulfil all requirements

tick away

(of time, life, etc) to pass away with the regularity of the ticking of a clock

tick down

(of time) to move inexorably towards a deadline

ticked off (US sl)

Annoyed, angry

tick off

1. To mark with a tick
2. To reprimand (slang)

tick over

1. (of an engine) to run gently, disconnected from the transmission (tickˈ-over noun)
2. (of a person) to lead an inactive, uneventful existence
3. To function, operate, especially at a low level of activity (figurative)

tick up (chiefly N Am)

To increase

tick³ /tik/

1. The cover of a mattress
2. Ticking

tickˈen or tickˈing noun

The strong, usu striped cloth of which ticks are made

tick⁴ /tik/ (slang)

1. Credit, delayed payment, esp in the phrase on tick
2. Trust

To get or give credit

tick shop noun

A shop where goods are given on credit

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