ticktock

American  

[tik-tok] / ˈtɪkˌtɒk /

Sometimes tictoc

noun

1. an alternating ticking sound, as that made by a clock.

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verb (used without object)

1. to emit or produce a ticking sound, like that of a clock.

ticktock British  

/ ˈtɪkˌtɒk /

noun

1. a ticking sound as made by a clock

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verb

1. (intr) to make a ticking sound

Etymology

Origin of ticktock

First recorded in 1840–50; imitative

Example Sentences

Together they produced an hourslong ticktock cacophony that has become the unwanted soundtrack of the lives of McKee and her neighbors.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 30, 2023

There’s pointillistic syncopation from marimba, glockenspiel and pizzicato strings, with a backdrop of sustained chords: the ticktock of everyday minutiae held together by the promise of constancy.

From New York Times • Sep. 23, 2022

Healthy pastures of eelgrass offer a mesmerizing beauty, swishing gently in the ticktock of the tide.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 21, 2022

Slocumb is equally adept at suspense, whether he’s conveying the ticktock of the main mystery or the heart-pounding, fist-clenching realities Ray has to face as a young Black man in America.

From Washington Post • Feb. 2, 2022

Lizabeth let the clock ticktock a little bit, then say, “I believe you could buy dry corn at a feed store, Biddy.”

From "Girls Like Us" by Gail Giles