Main Entry: ¹tick·le

Pronunciation: \ˈti-kəl\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): tick·led; tick·ling \-k(ə-)liŋ\

Etymology: Middle English tikelen; akin to Old English tinclian to tickle

Date: 14th century

transitive verb 1 a : to excite or stir up agreeably : please <music…does more than tickle our sense of rhythm — Edward Sapir> b : to provoke to laughter or merriment : amuse <were tickled by the clown's antics>
2 : to touch (as a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
3 : to touch or stir gently <a pianist tickling the ivories>intransitive verb 1 : to have a tingling or prickling sensation <my back tickles>
2 : to excite the surface nerves to prickle