tick
/tɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /tɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtik/ (ame, mw)
tick — noun
- ticksingular
- ticksplural
1. a written symbol (✓) placed beside an item on a list or in a document to show th
a written symbol (✓) placed beside an item on a list or in a document to show that it has been checked, approved, or dealt with.
Hiro put a tick next to each finished task on his to-do list.
collocation: put a tick next to [item]
The teacher drew a red tick beside every correct answer on the test papers.
Anong placed a tick next to the items that she had already packed.
A single tick on the form shows that the applicant agrees to the terms.
- check mark
American English equivalent; used in the US and Canada instead of 'tick'
- cross
an X mark used to show something is wrong or not chosen
用法筆記
In British English, 'tick' is the standard noun for the ✓ mark. American English uses 'check' or 'check mark' instead.
常見錯誤
2. a very short period of time; a moment so brief it feels like the space between t
a very short period of time; a moment so brief it feels like the space between two heartbeats.
I will be with you in a tick—let me save this file first.
phrase: in a tick (meaning very soon)
Sayaka's headache disappeared in a tick after she took the medicine.
Caleb told Gita he would be ready in a tick, but he actually took ten minutes.
Paloma waited a tick before giving her answer to the question.
文法句型
in a tick
a tick
用法筆記
Almost always used in the phrases 'in a tick' (meaning very soon) or 'a tick' (meaning a short pause). This is primarily British informal usage.
3. the short, light, regular sound that a clock, watch, or other timing device make
the short, light, regular sound that a clock, watch, or other timing device makes as its mechanism moves forward.
The only sound in the quiet library was the tick of the old wall clock.
structure: the tick of [device]
Emma lay in bed and listened to the steady tick of her bedside alarm clock.
collocation: steady tick
As the exam began, Hari could hear the tick of the clock on the wall behind him.
Mert put a new battery in the kitchen timer, and its tick returned at once.
文法句型
the tick of [clock]
用法筆記
Often used in the singular form 'the tick of' + clock name. The sound is specifically the fine mechanical noise, not a loud alarm or chime.
常見錯誤
4. an informal arrangement in which a buyer takes goods or services immediately and
an informal arrangement in which a buyer takes goods or services immediately and agrees to pay for them later.
In the 1950s many families bought furniture on tick and paid a little each week.
phrase: on tick (informal credit)
Grandpa said he used to get his groceries on tick at the corner shop and settle up on payday.
register: old-fashioned informal
The landlord let the young couple rent the flat on tick for the first month.
The mechanic fixed Emma's car on tick because she was a regular customer.
- credit
the modern, neutral term used in both British and American English for deferred payment
- installment plan
American English term for paying in regular portions over time
文法句型
on tick
用法筆記
This sense is informal and now considered old-fashioned even in British English. The modern equivalent is 'on credit' or 'buy now, pay later'. Rarely used in American English.
常見錯誤
5. a small, eight-legged parasitic creature related to spiders that attaches to the
a small, eight-legged parasitic creature related to spiders that attaches to the skin of animals and humans and feeds on their blood.
After walking through the long grass, Chiara found a tick on her dog's ear.
context: tick on an animal
Hikers in that forest should check for ticks on their skin every evening after hiking.
collocation: check for ticks
Anong removed the tick carefully with tweezers, making sure not to leave the head behind.
Ticks can carry diseases such as Lyme disease, so prompt removal is very important.
- mite
a much smaller relative in the same arachnid group; most mites do not feed on large animals the way ticks do
用法筆記
Ticks are arachnids (related to spiders and mites), not insects. They are medically significant because they can transmit Lyme disease and other infections. Check for ticks after spending time in wooded or grassy areas.
常見錯誤
tick — verb
- tickpresent simple I / you / we / they
- tickshe / she / it
- tickedpast simple
- ticking-ing form
1. to write a small ✓ by each entry in a list or on a form to show that it has been
to write a small ✓ by each entry in a list or on a form to show that it has been reviewed, approved, or dealt with.
Tariro ticked each name on the attendance list as the students walked into the room.
transitive: tick + [list item]
Before you submit the form, please tick the box that says 'I agree to the terms.'
common usage: tick a box
Emma ticked off every item on her packing list before she closed the suitcase.
The inspector ticked the safety checks one by one on the form attached to his clipboard.
文法句型
tick + noun phrase
tick off + noun phrase
用法筆記
This is the standard British verb for marking a checklist. In American English, 'check' is used instead. The phrasal verb 'tick off' means the same thing but is more colloquial.
常見錯誤
2. when a clock, watch, or other timing device ticks, it produces a series of short
when a clock, watch, or other timing device ticks, it produces a series of short, light, regular sounds as its internal mechanism moves forward.
The old grandfather clock in the hallway ticked steadily all through the night.
intransitive: clock + tick + adverb
Hari could hear his wristwatch ticking loudly in the silence of the empty exam hall.
A small kitchen timer ticked on the counter while the cake baked in the oven.
The clock on the wall ticked so loudly that Paloma could not concentrate on her reading.
文法句型
tick
tick + adverb
用法筆記
This verb is almost always used for mechanical clocks and timers. Digital or electronic devices 'beep' or 'ping' instead of 'tick'. Frequently combined with 'away' or 'by' to describe the passage of time (e.g., 'the clock is ticking').