Main Entry: ¹tick

Pronunciation: \ˈtik\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English tyke, teke; akin to Middle High German zeche tick, Armenian tiz

Date: 14th century

1 : any of a superfamily (Ixodoidea) of bloodsucking acarid arachnids that are larger than the related mites, attach themselves to warm-blooded vertebrates to feed, and include important vectors of infectious diseases
2 : any of various usually wingless parasitic dipteran flies — compare sheep ked

[tick illustration]