/ta
I
m/ N‑UNCOUNT
Thyme
is a type of herb used in cooking.
thy|roid
/θa
I
rɔ
I
d/ (thyroids
) N‑COUNT
Your
thyroid
or your
thyroid gland
is a gland in your neck that produces chemicals which control the way your body grows and functions.
thy|self
/ða
I
se
lf/ PRON
Thyself
is an old-fashioned, poetic, or religious word for 'yourself' when you are talking to only one person. □
Love thy neighbour as thyself.
ti|ara
/tiɑː
rə/ (tiaras
) N‑COUNT
A
tiara
is a metal band shaped like half a circle and decorated with jewels which a woman of very high social rank wears on her head at formal social occasions; also used of similar ornaments that girls or women wear on their heads.
tibia
/t
I
biə/ (tibias
) N‑COUNT
Your
tibia
is the inner bone of the two bones in the lower part of your leg. [MEDICAL
]
tic
/t
I
k/ (tics
) N‑COUNT
If someone has a
tic
, a part of their face or body keeps making a small uncontrollable movement, for example because they are tired or have a nervous illness. □
…people with nervous tics.
tick
/t
I
k/ (ticks
, ticking
, ticked
)
1
N‑COUNT
A
tick
is a written mark like a V: ✓. It is used to show that something is correct or has been selected or dealt with. [mainly BRIT
] □
Place a tick in the appropriate box.
in AM, usually use check2
VERB
If you
tick
something that is written on a piece of paper, you put a tick next to it. [mainly BRIT
] □ [V
n]
Please tick this box if you do not wish to receive such mailings.
in AM, usually use check3
VERB
When a clock or watch
ticks
, it makes a regular series of short sounds as it works. □ [V
]
A wind-up clock ticked busily from the kitchen counter.
● PHRASAL VERB
Tick away
means the same as tick
. □ [V
P
]
A grandfather clock ticked away in a corner.
●
tick|ing
N‑UNCOUNT
□ [+ of
]
…the endless ticking of clocks.
4
N‑COUNT
The
tick
of a clock or watch is the series of short sounds it makes when it is working, or one of those sounds. □ [+ of
]
He sat listening to the tick of the grandfather clock.
5
N‑COUNT
You can use
tick
to refer to a very short period of time. [BRIT
, INFORMAL
] □
I'll be back in a tick.
6
VERB
If you talk about what makes someone
tick
, you are talking about the beliefs, wishes, and feelings that make them behave in the way that they do. [INFORMAL
] □ [V
]
He wanted to find out what made them tick.
7
N‑COUNT
A
tick
is a small creature which lives on the bodies of people or animals and uses their blood as food. □
…chemicals that destroy ticks and mites.
▸
tick away
or
tick by
,
tick on
PHRASAL VERB
If you say that the clock or time is
ticking away
,
ticking by
, or
ticking on
, you mean that time is passing, especially when there is something that needs to be done or when you are waiting for something to happen. □ [V
P
]
The clock ticks away, leaving little time for talks.
▸
tick by
→ see
tick away
▸
tick off
1
PHRASAL VERB
If you
tick off
items on a list, you write a tick or other mark next to them, in order to show that they have been dealt with. [mainly BRIT
] □ [V
P
n]
He ticked off my name on a piece of paper.
□ [V
n P
]
Tick it off in the box.
in AM, usually use check off2
PHRASAL VERB
If you
tick
someone
off
, you speak angrily to them because they have done something wrong. [BRIT
, INFORMAL
] □ [V
n P
]
His mum ticked him off at home.
□ [V
n P
+ for
]
Abdel felt free to tick him off for smoking too much.
□ [V
P
n + for
]
Traffic police ticked off a pensioner for jumping a red light.
[Also V
P
n]
3
→ see also
ticking off
4
PHRASAL VERB
If you say that something
ticks
you
off
, you mean that it annoys you. [AM
, INFORMAL
] □ [V
n P
]
I just think it's rude and it's ticking me off.
□ [V
-ed P
+ at
]
She's still ticked off at him for brushing her off and going out with you instead.