tick 1
/tik/ , n.
1. a slight, sharp, recurring click, tap, or beat, as of a clock.
2. Chiefly Brit. Informal. a moment or instant.
3. a small dot, mark, check, or electronic signal, as used to mark off an item on a list, serve as a reminder, or call attention to something.
4. Stock Exchange.
a. a movement in the price of a stock, bond, or option.
b. the smallest possible tick on a given exchange.
5. Manège. a jumping fault consisting of a light touch of a fence with one or more feet.
6. a small contrasting spot of color on the coat of a mammal or the feathers of a bird.
v.i.
7. to emit or produce a tick, like that of a clock.
8. to pass as with ticks of a clock: The hours ticked by.
v.t.
9. to sound or announce by a tick or ticks: The clock ticked the minutes.
10. to mark with a tick or ticks; check (usually fol. by off ); to tick off the items on the memo.
11. tick off , Slang.
a. to make angry: His mistreatment of the animals really ticked me off.
b. Chiefly Brit. to scold severely: The manager will tick you off if you make another mistake.
12. what makes one tick , the motive or explanation of one's behavior: The biographer failed to show what made Herbert Hoover tick.
[ 1400-50; late ME tek little touch; akin to D tik a touch, pat, Norw tikka to touch or shove slightly. See TICKLE ]
tick 2
/tik/ , n.
1. any of numerous bloodsucking arachnids of the order Acarina, including the families Ixodidae and Argasidae, somewhat larger than the related mites and having a barbed proboscis for attachment to the skin of warm-blooded vertebrates: some ticks are vectors of disease.
2. See sheeptick .
[ bef. 900; ME teke, tyke, OE ticia (perh. sp. error for tiica (i.e. tica ) or ticca ); akin to LG tieke, G Zecke ]
tick 3
/tik/ , n.
1. the cloth case of a mattress, pillow, etc., containing hair, feathers, or the like.
2. ticking. Also called bedtick .
[ 1425-75; late ME tikke, teke, tyke (c. D tijk, G Zieche ) teca, theca théke case ]
tick 4
/tik/ , n. Chiefly Brit. Informal.
1. a score or account.
2. on tick , on credit or trust: We bought our telly on tick.
[ 1635-45; short for TICKET ]