/ ˈtɪkl; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
to move your fingers on a sensitive part of sb's body in a way that makes them laugh :
[ vn ]
The bigger girls used to chase me and tickle me.
[ v ]
Stop tickling!
2.
to produce a slightly uncomfortable feeling in a sensitive part of the body; to have a feeling like this :
[ vn ]
His beard was tickling her cheek.
[ v ]
My throat tickles.
a tickling cough
3.
to amuse and interest sb :
[ vn ]
to tickle sb's imagination
[ vn to inf ]
I was tickled to discover that we'd both done the same thing.
•
IDIOMS
- be tickled pink
- tickle sb's fancy
■ noun [ usually sing. ]
1.
an act of tickling sb :
She gave the child a little tickle.
2.
a slightly uncomfortable feeling in a part of your body :
to have a tickle in your throat (= that makes you want to cough)
•
IDIOMS
see slap noun
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the sense be delighted or thrilled ): perhaps a frequentative of the verb tick , or an alteration of Scots and dialect kittle to tickle .