TICK: Something small, something short.
It can refer to a sound. It can talk about time. It can be a symbol we use when working through lists or marking a choice.
But a tick is also a small parasitic animal.
Learn more in this post about the several meanings of TICK.
1. A tick is a symbol, a mark that we put next to the items on a list, to indicate “Done“. In American English it is called a check, or check mark.
It can also mean “Correct“.
Furthermore, it can show our choice from among several options.
As such, it functions as a verb as well: Tick the appropriate box.
2. A tick is a repeated metallic clicking sound, for example from a clock or a machine.
It is also a verb: The clock is ticking.
In British English, a tick can mean a moment, the instant between a tick of the clock and the next one:
Wait a tick.
3. A tick is a small parasitic arachnid that fastens itself to the skin of warm-blooded animals and humans to feed on their blood. When it has filled up, it will fall off. If you have a dog, it may have had ticks after being outdoors.
Ticks live in grass and forests. They can transmit over 15 diseases.