tick
/tɪk/ · tick
noun
- A tiny woodland arachnid of the suborder Ixodida. The hiker carefully removed the tick from her skin before it could transmit the disease.
- A unit of time, especially one minute or one second. The clock ticked away as the couple waited anxiously for the results.
- A small mark or stroke, especially one made by a pen or pencil. The artist carefully added a tick to the diagram to indicate the correct answer.
- A check or mark used to indicate approval or agreement. She gave a tick of approval to the new employee's resume.
- A device that marks time, especially one that strikes a bell or makes a noise at regular intervals. The old clock's tick was soothing, but it was time to replace it with a digital one.
Did you know? The word 'tick' has been used in various contexts, including as a unit of time in music, where a tick is equivalent to one sixteenth of a note.