especially: one used to direct attention to something, to check an item on a list, or to represent a point on a scale
3
a
finance: the minimum amount by which the price of a security can move upward or downward
The minimum price fluctuation is called a "tick."—Gerald Warfield
also: a stock market transaction at a price above or below the last previous transaction in the same security or the change in price that such a transaction represents
an upward/downward tick
The telegraph, and then the stock ticker, provided a number of advantages … . The ticker was named for its characteristic sound when printing; to this day, any movement of a stock's price is called a "tick." —Joe Janes
Note that I assume none of you plan to spend your golden years watching the market tick by tick and jumping in and out of stocks. —Barry Ritholtz
b
: a small amount
… Wednesday's fifth episode drew 12.3 same-day million viewers, up a tick from the previous week's 12.2 million.—Gary Levin
: 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
Verb
I could hear the clock tick.
His old heart is still ticking. Tick the box next to your choice.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Grasping how this team ticks is an exercise on and off the field.—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2024 Still, some of the common symptoms include: Blisters Clumsiness
Difficulty breathing
Feeling weak
Pain
Red rash at the bite site
Swelling
Part of tick bite treatment involves removing the tick as soon as possible with an upward motion without twisting or jerking the tick out of the skin.—Amanda Gardner, Health, 27 May 2024
Verb
The yield, or interest rate, on France’s benchmark government bonds ticked up Monday to reach its highest level since late November.—Anna Cooban, CNN, 10 June 2024 Itching and swelling are the most common signs of an allergic reaction to tick bites.—Maria Masters, Health, 9 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for tick
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English tek pat, light stroke; akin to Middle High German zic light push
Noun (2)
Middle English tyke, teke; akin to Middle High German zeche tick, Armenian tiz
Noun (3)
Middle English tike, probably from Middle Dutch (akin to Old High German ziahha tick), from Latin theca cover, from Greek thēkē case; akin to Greek tithenai to place — more at do
: any of numerous bloodsucking invertebrates that are arachnids larger than the related mites, attach themselves to warm-blooded animals to feed, and include important carriers of infectious diseases
tick
2 of 5noun
1
: the fabric case of a mattress, pillow, or cushion
: any of numerous bloodsucking arachnids that constitute the acarine superfamily Ixodoidea, are much larger than the closely related mites, attach themselves to warm-blooded vertebrates to feed, include important vectors of various infectious diseases of humans and lower animals, and although the immature larva has but six legs, may be readily distinguished from an insect by the complete lack of external segmentation
2
: any of various usually wingless parasitic dipteran flies (as the sheep ked)
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