Tick

Tick, n. 1. A quick, audible beat, as of a clock.

2. Any small mark intended to direct attention to something, or to serve as a check. Dickens.

3. (Zoöl.) The whinchat; -- so called from its note. [Prov. Eng.]

Death tick. (Zoöl.) See Deathwatch.

Tick, v. i. 1. To go on trust, or credit.

2. To give tick; to trust.

Tick, n. [OE. tike, teke; akin to D. teek, G. zecke. Cf. Tike a tick.] (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of numerous species of large parasitic mites which attach themselves to, and suck the blood of, cattle, dogs, and many other animals. When filled with blood they become ovate, much swollen, and usually livid red in color. Some of the species often attach themselves to the human body. The young are active and have at first but six legs. (b) Any one of several species of dipterous insects having a flattened and usually wingless body, as the bird ticks (see under Bird) and sheep tick (see under Sheep).

Tick bean, a small bean used for feeding horses and other animals. -- Tick trefoil (Bot.), a name given to many plants of the leguminous genus Desmodium, which have trifoliate leaves, and joined pods roughened with minute hooked hairs by which the joints adhere to clothing and to the fleece of sheep.

Tick (?), n. [Abbrev. from ticket.] Credit; trust; as, to buy on, or upon, tick.

Tick, n. [LL. techa, teca, L. theca case, Gr. ?, fr. ? to put. See Thesis.] 1. The cover, or case, of a bed, mattress, etc., which contains the straw, feathers, hair, or other filling.

2. Ticking. See Ticking, n.

Tick, v. t. To check off by means of a tick or any small mark; to score.

When I had got all my responsibilities down upon my list, I compared each with the bill and ticked it off.

Tick, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ticked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Ticking.] [Probably of imitative origin; cf. D. tikken, LG. ticken.] 1. To make a small or repeating noise by beating or otherwise, as a watch does; to beat.

2. To strike gently; to pat.

Stand not ticking and toying at the branches.