tick

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun British English

n. a mark (✓) used to show that something is correct, finished, or chosen.

n. a symbol used to indicate verification, completion, or agreement; common in British and Commonwealth English.

“Put a tick in the box next to the meal you would like to order.”

“The examiner placed a red tick next to every correct answer on the final page of the test booklet.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal · British English

n. a very short period of time; a moment.

n. an informal unit of time representing a very brief interval.

“Wait there, I will be with you in a tick.”

“The technician promised to have the server back online in a tick, though the actual repair took nearly an hour.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Science

n. a tiny eight-legged creature that lives in grass and sucks blood from animals or people.

n. a small parasitic arachnid of the order Ixodida that attaches to hosts to feed on blood.

“Check your dog for ticks after you walk through the tall grass.”

“The hikers were advised to wear long trousers to prevent ticks from attaching to their skin during the trek through the forest.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical

n. a tiny unit of time used by a computer's processor to measure how fast it works.

n. a single cycle of a system clock or a fixed interval between timer interrupts.

“The software measures how many ticks the processor needs to finish the task.”

“The game engine updates the physics state once per tick to ensure consistent behaviour across different hardware configurations.”

B1 · Intermediate

v. to make a short, sharp clicking sound repeatedly.

v. to produce a series of short, sharp sounds, typically as a result of mechanical movement.

“I could hear the radiator ticking as the room started to get warm.”

“The grandfather clock continued to tick rhythmically in the hallway, oblivious to the chaos in the rest of the house.”

B1 · Intermediate British English

v. to put a mark (✓) next to an item on a list.

v. to mark an item with a tick to indicate it has been dealt with or verified.

“Tick the items off your shopping list as you find them in the store.”

“She carefully ticked each name on the guest list as the attendees entered the ballroom.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal

v. to work or behave in a certain way.

v. to function or operate; often used in the phrase 'what makes someone tick' to describe motivations.

“I have worked with him for years, but I still don't know what makes him tick.”

“The documentary attempts to explain what makes these elite athletes tick and how they maintain their focus under pressure.”