Meaning of "tickle" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD TICKLE

Related to Old English tinclian, Old High German kizziton, Old Norse kitla, Latin titillāre to titillate.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF TICKLE

tickle  [ˈtɪkəl]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF TICKLE

Tickle is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb tickle in English.

WHAT DOES TICKLE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Tickling

Tickling is the act of touching a part of the body so as to cause involuntary twitching movements and/or laughter. The word "tickle" evolved from the Middle English tikelen, perhaps frequentative of ticken, to touch lightly. The idiom tickled pink means to be pleased or delighted. In 1897, psychologists G. Stanley Hall and Arthur Allin described a "tickle" as two different types of phenomena. One type is caused by very light movement across the skin. This type of tickle, called a knismesis, generally does not produce laughter and is sometimes accompanied by an itching sensation. Another type of tickle is the laughter-inducing "heavy" tickle, produced by repeatedly applying pressure to "ticklish" areas, and is known as gargalesis. Such sensations can be pleasurable or exciting, but are sometimes considered highly unpleasant, particularly in the case of relentless heavy tickling. The question as to why a person could not tickle him/herself was raised by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Francis Bacon and Charles Darwin believed that humorous laughter requires a "light" frame of mind.

Definition of tickle in the English dictionary

The first definition of tickle in the dictionary is to touch, stroke, or poke so as to produce pleasure, laughter, or a twitching sensation. Other definition of tickle is to excite pleasurably; gratify. Tickle is also to delight or entertain.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO TICKLE

PRESENT

Present

I tickle

you tickle

he/she/it tickles

we tickle

you tickle

they tickle

Present continuous

I am tickling

you are tickling

he/she/it is tickling

we are tickling

you are tickling

they are tickling

Present perfect

I have tickled

you have tickled

he/she/it has tickled

we have tickled

you have tickled

they have tickled

Present perfect continuous

I have been tickling

you have been tickling

he/she/it has been tickling

we have been tickling

you have been tickling

they have been tickling

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I tickled

you tickled

he/she/it tickled

we tickled

you tickled

they tickled

Past continuous

I was tickling

you were tickling

he/she/it was tickling

we were tickling

you were tickling

they were tickling

Past perfect

I had tickled

you had tickled

he/she/it had tickled

we had tickled

you had tickled

they had tickled

Past perfect continuous

I had been tickling

you had been tickling

he/she/it had been tickling

we had been tickling

you had been tickling

they had been tickling

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will tickle

you will tickle

he/she/it will tickle

we will tickle

you will tickle

they will tickle

Future continuous

I will be tickling

you will be tickling

he/she/it will be tickling

we will be tickling

you will be tickling

they will be tickling

Future perfect

I will have tickled

you will have tickled

he/she/it will have tickled

we will have tickled

you will have tickled

they will have tickled

Future perfect continuous

I will have been tickling

you will have been tickling

he/she/it will have been tickling

we will have been tickling

you will have been tickling

they will have been tickling

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would tickle

you would tickle

he/she/it would tickle

we would tickle

you would tickle

they would tickle

Conditional continuous

I would be tickling

you would be tickling

he/she/it would be tickling

we would be tickling

you would be tickling

they would be tickling

Conditional perfect

I would have tickle

you would have tickle

he/she/it would have tickle

we would have tickle

you would have tickle

they would have tickle

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been tickling

you would have been tickling

he/she/it would have been tickling

we would have been tickling

you would have been tickling

they would have been tickling

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you tickle
we let´s tickle
you tickle

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to tickle

Past participle

tickled

Present Participle

tickling

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «TICKLE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «tickle» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of tickle

amuse · arouse · captivate · chuck · delight · divert · entertain · excite · gratify · interest · pet · please · stimulate · stroke · titillate

TRANSLATION OF TICKLE

Find out the translation of tickle to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of tickle from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «tickle» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 胳肢
• Translator English - Spanish: hacer cosquillas
• English: tickle
• Translator English - Hindi: गुदगुदी
• Translator English - Arabic: يُدَغْدَغُ
• Translator English - Russian: щекотать
• Translator English - Portuguese: fazer cócegas
• Translator English - Bengali: সুড়সুড়ি
• Translator English - French: chatouiller
• Translator English - Malay: Menggelitik
• Translator English - German: kitzeln
• Translator English - Japanese: くすぐる
• Translator English - Korean: 간질이다
• Translator English - Javanese: Tickle
• Translator English - Vietnamese: cù
• Translator English - Tamil: டிக்கிள்
• Translator English - Marathi: गुदगुल्या
• Translator English - Turkish: gıdıklamak
• Translator English - Italian: fare il solletico
• Translator English - Polish: połaskotać
• Translator English - Ukrainian: лоскотати
• Translator English - Romanian: a gâdila
• Translator English - Greek: γαργαλάω
• Translator English - Afrikaans: Tickle
• Translator English - Swedish: kittla
• Translator English - Norwegian: kile

10 QUOTES WITH «TICKLE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word tickle.

1

Ashleigh Banfield

There's not a lot of other stuff I admire about his content, but there's something about Howard Stern and his perseverance in a very difficult industry. He does tickle me in certain ways with humor.

2

Cyrano de Bergerac

'And for my part, Gentlemen,' said I, 'that I may put in for a share, and guess with the rest; not to amuse myself with those curious Notions wherewith you tickle and spur on slow-paced Time; I believe, that the Moon is a World like ours, to which this of ours serves likewise for a Moon.'

3

Chris Brown

The worst moment was when I was performing and I was about to sing, but I choked. I had a tickle in my throat and I started coughing, and I couldn't get the words out. It lasted for like thirty seconds, but I got over it, and luckily the crowd didn't seem to care.

4

Willem Dafoe

I'm one of those people who when I go over a bridge, I want to jump. It's just this intense tickle in the back of my throat. It's like I'm on the verge the whole time I'm walking over that bridge, and I'm not going to get a release until I jump.

5

Charles Lamb

A pun is not bound by the laws which limit nicer wit. It is a pistol let off at the ear; not a feather to tickle the intellect.

6

Michael Muller

People don't need to be scared. I tickle sharks. I do, when they swim by.

7

Louise Berliawsky Nevelson

I see no reason why I should tickle stones or waste time on polishing bronze.

8

Laurence Olivier

The office of drama is to exercise, possibly to exhaust, human emotions. The purpose of comedy is to tickle those emotions into an expression of light relief; of tragedy, to wound them and bring the relief of tears. Disgust and terror are the other points of the compass.

9

Shari Sebbens

I'm a believer, but an unsettled one. I think it has something to do with the fact that my grandmother always told me she would come back and tickle my feet at night time when she passed away. She hasn't gotten me yet. But I keep the blanket over my feet at night, no matter how hot it is.

10

William Shakespeare

If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «TICKLE»

Discover the use of tickle in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to tickle and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Tickle Monster Laughter Kit [With Tickle Mitts]

A loveable monster with big puffy mitts has just flown in from Planet Tickle. His mission is to bring joy and laughter to Planet Earth. How? By tickling any child who happens to follow along in this book.

Josie Bissett, 2009

Tickle Monster

The tickle monster flies in from Planet Tickle to share his talents, moving from one part of the body to another.

Josie Bissett, 2008

The Tickle Tree

Have you ever been where the Tickle Tree grows? If you haven't then this book might just show you the way, but shhh, it's a secret.

Chae Strathie, 2008

Tickle Me Ticklish

It's game of laughs. It's a game of fun. From head to toes, Tickle Me Ticklish is for everyone! Tickle Me Ticklish will bring out the giggles while helping children learn body parts and teaching turn-taking skills.

Georgette Bynum, 2010

Hammer And Tickle

Humorous, culturally poignant and historically revealing, this is the story of a political system that was (almost) laughed out of existence.

Ben Lewis, 2011

Greed : The Seven Deadly Sins: The Seven Deadly Sins

As the Sikh holy book Adi Granth asks: "Where there is greed, what love can there be?

Phyllis A. Tickle, 2004

The Divine HoursTM, Pocket Edition

Tickle draws her texts primarily from the Book of Common Prayer and the writings of the Church Fathers, and includes memorable devotional and meditative poems by Cleland McAfee, Charles Wesley, and others.

Phyllis Tickle, 2007

Animal Jokes to Tickle Your Funny Bone

What kind of cat loves to bowl? An alley cat! Read more jokes, limericks, riddles, tongue twisters, and fun facts about different animals! You can also write your own joke book!

Michele C. Hollow, 2011

Sunday Funnies to Tickle the Soul

David Varner is a retired corporate relations executive and journalist with broad-spectrum experience in business and agency arenas. Sunday Funnies to Tickle the Soul is his first published work.

David M. Varner, 2010

The Tickle Book: With Pop-up Surprises

Pull the tabs and lift the flaps and discover how very tickly a book can be. Watch the Ticklemonster in action, tickling his animal friends at every opportunity: monkeys in the train, pigs on the farm, penguins playing and bears in bed.

Ian Whybrow, 2006

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «TICKLE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term tickle is used in the context of the following news items.

'tickle torture' teacher struck off

A teacher acquitted of criminal charges following a "tickle torture game" with students has been struck off by the Teachers Council. Donald McIntyre Morrison, 69, ... «Stuff.co.nz, Jul 15»

Amazing video: Would you tickle a shark? Shark hugs aquarium …

A video posted on social media shows a leopard shark making the most of its hugging session with an aquarium keeper. «Belfast Telegraph, Jun 15»

Family sues Bakersfield police over officer's tickling of corpse

The officer said, “Tickle, tickle” as he touched Villegas' feet and then pulled on one of his toes, commenting that rigor mortis had not set in, the lawsuit alleges. «Los Angeles Times, Jun 15»

Popular author Phyllis Tickle faces lung cancer: 'dying is my next …

Tickle has been writing almost since she can remember, with poetry the focus of her earliest efforts. At 21 she married Sam Tickle, a medical student and ... «Washington Post, May 15»

Cop accused of tickling feet of man killed by police

A Bakersfield police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after he allegedly tickled the feet of a man shot dead by police and said, “tickle, tickle.”. «Los Angeles Times, Apr 15»

Dick Masturbates In Tickle Creek: Cops

Michael Gordon Dick, 53, of Gresham, Oregon was arrested on March 25 after police received reports of a naked man masturbating in the "Tickle Creek and ... «Huffington Post, Apr 15»

Truck ID Helps Nab Chronic Masturbator Named Dick In Tickle Creek

Well, good news! Thanks to an ID on his truck, he's been caught! And his last name is Dick, and was caught after exposing himself in a place called Tickle Creek. «Jalopnik, Mar 15»

Danny Tickle out of Super League action with Widnes for a month

Former Wigan and Hull second-rower Danny Tickle will be out of action with Widnes for around a month after being told he needs to undergo groin surgery. «SkySports, Mar 15»

Watch: World's first ticklish car arrives in Birmingham for Comic …

And today it pulled up in Birmingham city centre - along with Mr Tickle - in a bid to raise smiles, money and awareness for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day. «Birmingham Mail, Feb 15»

Supercross: Broc Tickle Out For A3

RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy Johns/Suzuki Factory Racing's Broc Tickle will sit out this weekend's Monster Energy AMA Supercross race at Anaheim to recover ... «Cycle News, Jan 15»