English Reference
noun · verb

ticket

n. · v.
US /ˈtɪkət/ UK /tˈɪkɪt/ tick·et UK spelling ticket's, ticket's, ticketed

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    n.a piece of paper or a digital code that shows you have paid for a journey or an event.

    n.a document or token showing that the holder is entitled to a specific service, such as transportation or admission to an event.

    Simple

    I bought a train ticket to London at the station machine.

    In context

    The concert sold out within minutes, leaving thousands of fans searching for tickets on secondary marketplaces.

  2. 02 A2 Elementary Law

    n.an official notice that you have broken a traffic rule and must pay a fine.

    n.a legal summons or notice of a fine issued by an officer for a traffic or parking violation.

    Simple

    He got a parking ticket because he left his car in a restricted zone.

    In context

    The officer issued a speeding ticket after the radar confirmed the vehicle was travelling twenty miles per hour over the limit.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

    n.a record of a problem or request that a technical team needs to fix.

    n.a formal record within a tracking system used to manage and resolve customer queries or technical issues.

    Simple

    I opened a support ticket because my company email was not working.

    In context

    The help desk closed the ticket once the software patch was successfully deployed to all affected workstations.

  4. 04 C1 Advanced American English Politics

    n.a list of people from the same political party who are running in an election.

    n.a single election choice which fills more than one political office or represents a party's full list of candidates.

    Simple

    The party chose a young lawyer to join their ticket for the local elections.

    In context

    Political analysts debated whether the presidential candidate's choice of running mate would strengthen the party's ticket in the southern states.

  5. 05 B1 Intermediate

    n.a small tag on a product that shows how much it costs.

    n.a label or tag attached to merchandise indicating its price, size, or other descriptive details.

    Simple

    The dress was beautiful, but I couldn't find the price ticket anywhere.

    In context

    The shop assistant spent the morning attaching new price tickets to the items in the summer clearance section.

  6. 06 B1 Intermediate Law

    v.to give someone an official notice for breaking a traffic law.

    v.to issue a legal citation or notice of a fine to a person or for a vehicle.

    Simple

    The police officer ticketed the driver for running a red light.

    In context

    The city began ticketing vehicles parked in the bike lane to improve safety for cyclists during rush hour.

Usage ticket sales · ticket prices


Borrowed from Middle Scots tikkat, tikket, from Middle French etiquet m, estiquet m, and etiquette f, estiquette f (“a bill, note, label, ticket”), from Old French estechier, estichier, estequier (“to attach, stick”), (compare Picard estiquier (“to stick, pierce”)), from Frankish stikkjan, stekan (“to stick, pierce, sting”), from Proto-Germanic stikaną, stikōną, staikijaną (“to be sharp, pierce, prick”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)teyg- (“to be sharp, to stab”). Doublet of etiquette. More at stick.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin ine-pro *(s)teyg-
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Common
Updated