children's three-in-a-row game with Xs and Os, so called by 1892, earlier tit-tat-toe (by 1852, in reminiscences of earlier years), also called noughts and crosses (1852). Probably from the sound of the pencil on the slate with which it originally was played by schoolboys. Also the name of a children's counting rhyme played on slate (also originally tit-tat-toe, by 1842), and compare tick-tack (1580s), a form of backgammon, possibly from Middle French trictrac, perhaps imitative of the sound of tiles on the board.
雙語例句
1. He sat listening to the tick of the grandfather clock.
他坐在那兒，聽著落地式大擺鐘嘀嗒作響。
來自柯林斯例句
2. I wound up the watch and listened to it tick.
我給表上緊發(fā)條，聽著它嘀嗒作響。
來自柯林斯例句
3. He wanted to find out what made them tick.
他想搞清楚他們?yōu)槭裁磿菢印?/dd>
來自柯林斯例句
4. Abdel felt free to tick him off for smoking too much.