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tikka

1 British  
/ ˈtiːkə /

noun

  1. another word for tilak

  2. the act of marking a tikka on the forehead

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
tikka 2 British  
/ ˈtiːkə /

adjective

  1. (immediately postpositive) Indian cookery (of meat, esp chicken or lamb) marinated in spices then dry-roasted, usu. in a clay oven

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tikka

from Hindi tika , Punjabi tikka spot, mark

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He keeps ordering — modest, comforting meals: two vegetable dishes, one lamb, garlic naan, chicken tikka.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2025

Not just chaat and chai, Chatpata By Kanishka merges East-meets-West food with dishes like its paneer tikka burger.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 6, 2024

For lunch, she had a wrap with zero calorie garlic mayonnaise sauce on top, while dinner consisted of a low calorie chicken tikka curry.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2024

An inspection of the restaurant after Mr Atkinson's death showed that peanut powder had been used in the preparation of the chicken tikka masala pizza.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2024

Over saag paneer and chicken tikka masala, Mrs. Richardson put her hand on Elizabeth’s arm.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.