Definition of TICKLE

tickle

Plural: tickles

Noun

  • a cutaneous sensation often resulting from light stroking
  • the act of tickling
  • The act of tickling.
  • An itchy feeling resembling the result of tickling.
  • A light tap of the ball.
  • A narrow strait, such as between an island and the shore.

Verb

Verb Forms: tickled, tickling, tickles

  • To lightly touch someone to produce a tingling sensation.
  • touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
  • feel sudden intense sensation or emotion
  • touch or stroke lightly
    • "The grass tickled her calves"
  • To touch repeatedly or stroke delicately in a manner which typically causes laughter, pleasure and twitching.
  • To feel as if the body part in question is being tickled.
  • To appeal to someone's taste, curiosity etc.
  • To cause delight or amusement in.
  • To feel titillation.
  • To catch fish in the hand (usually in rivers or smaller streams) by manually stimulating the fins.
  • To be excited or heartened.

Adj

  • Changeable, capricious; insecure.

Adv

  • Insecurely, precariously, unstably.

Examples

  • He tickled Nancy's tummy, and she started to giggle.
  • He was tickled to receive such a wonderful gift.
  • I have a persistent tickle in my throat.
  • My nose tickles, and I'm going to sneeze!
  • The possibility of a triple-word score made his strategic mind TICKLE with excitement.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English tiklen, tikelen, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a frequentative form of Middle English tikken (“to touch lightly”), thus equivalent to tick + -le; or perhaps related to Old English tinclian (“to tickle”). Compare North Frisian tigele (“to tickle”) (Hallig dialect), and tiikle (“to tickle”) (Amrum dialect), German dialectal zicklen (“to excite; stir up”).
Alternatively, from a metathetic alteration of Middle English kitelen ("to tickle"; see kittle).

Scrabble Score: 12

tickle: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
tickle: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
tickle: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 14

tickle: valid Words With Friends Word