From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtic-tac-toetic-tac-toe, tick-tack-toe /ˌtɪk tæk ˈtəʊ $ -ˈtoʊ/ noun [uncountable] American English a children’s game in which two players draw X’s or O’s in a pattern of nine squares, trying to get three in a row SYN noughts and crosses British EnglishOrigin tic-tac-toe (1900-2000) tic-tac-toe “game played by hitting a pencil sharply against numbered squares” ((1800-1900)); from the sound of play
