ticktock

American  

[tik-tok] / ˈtɪkˌtɒk /

Sometimes tictoc

noun

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

---

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

---

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

“Thirteen Lives” is a solid achievement, technically and dramatically, using a ticktock timeline and periodically superimposing on-screen maps of the miles-long cave system to build tension.

From Washington Post • Aug. 3, 2022

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

From Seattle Times • Mar. 21, 2022

The ticktock of the raid’s secret planning and execution is exhilarating, but Obamareflects on the cathartic euphoria of the aftermath.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2020

I can practically hear the ticktock of her brain.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman