tick

/tɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /tɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtik/ (ame, mw)

tick — 名詞

  • ticksingular
  • ticksplural

1. a written symbol (✓) placed beside an item on a list or in a document to show th

1.名詞A2
釋義

勾號

表示正確或已完成的✓記號

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.

例句

Hiro put a tick next to each finished task on his to-do list.

Hiro在待辦清單上每項已完成任務旁打了一個勾。

collocation: put a tick next to [item]

The teacher drew a red tick beside every correct answer on the test papers.

老師在考卷上每個正確答案旁邊畫了一個紅勾。

同義詞
  • check mark

    American English equivalent; used in the US and Canada instead of 'tick'

反義詞
  • 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

Put a tick on the box' (for a physical checkbox on paper).
Put a tick in the box
💡the tick goes inside the box, not on top of it.

2. a very short period of time; a moment so brief it feels like the space between t

2.名詞B1
釋義

一瞬間

極短暫的一段時間

a very short period of time; a moment so brief it feels like the space between two heartbeats.

例句

I will be with you in a tick—let me save this file first.

我馬上就來——先讓我存好這個檔案。

phrase: in a tick (meaning very soon)

Sayaka's headache disappeared in a tick after she took the medicine.

Sayaka吃藥後,頭痛一下子就消失了。

同義詞
  • moment

    more neutral and widely used across all English varieties; 'tick' has a distinctly British informal tone

  • second

    more common in American English; 'tick' is rarer in US speech

  • instant

    suggests an even shorter time, with no perceptible duration at all

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

3.名詞A2
釋義

滴答聲

時鐘運轉的規律輕響

the short, light, regular sound that a clock, watch, or other timing device makes as its mechanism moves forward.

例句

The only sound in the quiet library was the tick of the old wall clock.

安靜的圖書館裡唯一的聲音就是那座老掛鐘的滴答聲。

structure: the tick of [device]

Emma lay in bed and listened to the steady tick of her bedside alarm clock.

Emma躺在床上,聽著床頭鬧鐘規律的滴答聲。

collocation: steady tick

同義詞
  • click

    a sharper, higher-pitched sound often from a switch or computer mouse

  • tap

    a lighter, softer sound that can come from various sources, not just clocks

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

The tick of the fire alarm woke everyone up.
The beep of the fire alarm woke everyone up.
💡'tick' refers only to the quiet mechanical sound of a clock, not to electronic alarms or bells.

4. an informal arrangement in which a buyer takes goods or services immediately and

4.名詞B2
釋義

賒帳

先取貨後付款的交易方式

an informal arrangement in which a buyer takes goods or services immediately and agrees to pay for them later.

例句

In the 1950s many families bought furniture on tick and paid a little each week.

1950年代,許多家庭用賒帳的方式購買家具,每週付一點錢。

phrase: on tick (informal credit)

Grandpa said he used to get his groceries on tick at the corner shop and settle up on payday.

爺爺說他以前可以在街角雜貨店賒帳買日用品,發薪日再結清。

register: old-fashioned informal

同義詞
  • 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

I bought my laptop on tick' (in formal writing or modern conversation).
I bought my laptop on credit' or 'I paid for my laptop in instalments.
💡'on tick' may sound dated or confusing to younger or non-British speakers.

5. a small, eight-legged parasitic creature related to spiders that attaches to the

5.名詞B1
釋義

蜱蟲

寄生吸血的八腳小蟲

a small, eight-legged parasitic creature related to spiders that attaches to the skin of animals and humans and feeds on their blood.

例句

After walking through the long grass, Chiara found a tick on her dog's ear.

走過長草區後,Chiara在她狗的耳朵上發現了一隻蜱蟲。

context: tick on an animal

Hikers in that forest should check for ticks on their skin every evening after hiking.

到那片森林健行的人應該每天晚上檢查皮膚上有沒有蜱蟲。

collocation: check for ticks

同義詞
  • 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

A tick is a type of insect.
A tick is an arachnid, related to spiders.
💡ticks have eight legs (not six) as adults, which makes them arachnids, not insects.

tick — 動詞