From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishticktick1 /tɪk/ ●●○ verb 1 [intransitive] (also tick away)SOUND if a clock or watch ticks, it makes a short repeated sound The old clock ticked noisily.2 [transitive] British EnglishSECORRECT to mark a test, list of questions etc with a tick, in order to show that something is correct, to choose something etc SYN check American English Tick the description that best fits you. Just tick the box on your order form.3 → what makes somebody tick4 → tick all the right boxes → tick away/by/past → tick somebody/something ↔ off → tick over→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
tick• A strong interest in people and what makes them tick.• Try to figure out what makes him tick.• His mind noted this fact among others, ticking efficiently on like a water-clock.• I find it impossible to sleep if there's a clock ticking in the room.• But the clock was ticking loudly.• He ticked off those he had just interviewed and wondered which of the rest ought to take up his time and attention.• Even as the trajectory of his thought kept rising in the early seventies, the clock was ticking on his pet project.• As usual, there was a bomb ticking somewhere and James Bond had to find it.• Usually when you wonder what makes people tick you speculate about such things as their motives, attitudes and feelings.tick ... box• They only have to tick the boxes.• Could I tick the box in my bird book?• To take advantage of this extra bonus offer, simply tick the box on your order form.• Please tick the box which best expresses your opinion.ticktick2 noun 1 [countable]SE British English a mark (✓) written next to an answer, something on a list etc, to show that it is correct or has been dealt with SYN check American English Put a tick in the box if you agree with this statement. → cross22 [countable]HBI a very small animal like an insect that lives under the skin of other animals and sucks their blood3 [singular]SOUND the short repeated sound that a clock or watch makes every second4 [countable] British English spoken SHORT TIME a very short time SYN moment I’ll be with you in a tick (=soon). It’ll only take two ticks.5 → on tickExamples from the Corpus
tick• Most of the questions may be answered with a tick.• The car made cooling, metallic ticks sitting there, giving off heat as I passed it.• Did you find any more ticks on him you know this is tick season, Mom.• Do the pages of ticks mean that Fred is a genius or that the work was set at too low a standard?• No sound except the tick from the watch on Suzy's wrist.• Jeremy waited anxiously, listening to the ticking of the clock on the wall.• The tick of the Edwardian wall-clock bounced from wall to wall.Put ... tick• Paul puts a tick next to Keith's name.• Put a tick in the column that applies to you. 1.• Sometimes Paul puts a tick next to Keith's name, and then Keith remembers a meeting or changes his mind or something.• Every time he had a tantrum she put a tick in the appropriate square.From Longman Business Dictionaryticktick1 /tɪk/ noun [countable]1a mark that you put next to an answer to show that it is correct or against an item on a list to show that you have dealt with itSYNcheck AmEPut a tick in the column that applies to you.2on tick British English informalCOMMERCE if you get something on tick, you arrange to take it now and pay for it later3FINANCE an occasion when the price of a share, bond etc moves up or downHe had the trades done near the close of the trading day on either a plus tick (=a price higher than the previous trade) or a zero-plus tick (=an unchanged price following upward price movement).4FINANCE in interest rates, bond prices etc one hundredth of one per centThe price of the December Eurodollar future quickly rose four ticks, from 94.15 to 94.19.ticktick2 verb [transitive] to make a mark next to an answer or something on a list to show that it is correct or has been dealt withSYNcheck AmEWhich of the following features do you feel are important when choosing a bed? (Please tick all that apply). → tick over→ See Verb tableOrigin tick1 1. (1200-1300) Origin unknown. 2. Old English ticia 