tick|le /t I k ə l/ (tickles , tickling , tickled )
1 VERB When you tickle someone, you move your fingers lightly over a sensitive part of their body, often in order to make them laugh. □ [V n] I was tickling him, and he was laughing and giggling.
2 VERB If something tickles you or tickles , it causes an irritating feeling by lightly touching a part of your body. □ [V n] …a yellow hat with a great feather that tickled her ear. □ [V ] A beard doesn't scratch, it just tickles.
3 VERB If a fact or a situation tickles you, it amuses you or gives you pleasure. □ [V n to-inf] It tickles me to see him riled. □ [V n] The story was really funny–it tickled me. ● tick|led ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ They all sounded just as tickled.
tick|lish /t I kəl I ʃ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A ticklish problem, situation, or task is difficult and needs to be dealt with carefully. □ So car makers are faced with the ticklish problem of how to project products at new buyers.
2 ADJ Someone who is ticklish is sensitive to being tickled, and laughs as soon as you tickle them. □ This massage method is not recommended for anyone who is very ticklish.
tid|al /ta I d ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Tidal means relating to or produced by tides. □ The tidal stream or current gradually decreases in the shallows.
ti d|al wave (tidal waves )
1 N‑COUNT A tidal wave is a very large wave, often caused by an earthquake, that flows onto the land and destroys things. □ …a massive tidal wave swept the ship up and away.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe a very large number of emotions, things, or people as a tidal wave , you mean that they all occur at the same time. □ [+ of ] The trade union movement was swept along by a tidal wave of patriotism.
tid|bit /t I db I t/ → see titbit
tid|dler /t I dlə r / (tiddlers )
1 N‑COUNT A tiddler is a very small fish of any kind. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
2 N‑COUNT If you refer to a person or thing as a tiddler , you mean that they are very unimportant or small, especially when compared to other people or things of the same type. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ On a world scale, the earthquake was a tiddler.
tid|dly /t I dəli/
1 ADJ If someone is tiddly , they are slightly drunk. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
2 ADJ If you describe a thing as tiddly , you mean that it is very small. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ …a tiddly picture.
tiddly|wink /t I dəliw I ŋk/ (tiddlywinks )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Tiddlywinks is a game in which the players try to make small round pieces of plastic jump into a container, by pressing their edges with a larger piece of plastic.
2 N‑COUNT Tiddlywinks are the small round piece of plastic used in the game of tiddlywinks.
tide ◆◇◇ /ta I d/ (tides , tiding , tided )
1 N‑COUNT The tide is the regular change in the level of the sea on the shore. □ The tide was at its highest. □ The tide was going out, and the sand was smooth and glittering.
2 N‑COUNT A tide is a current in the sea that is caused by the regular and continuous movement of large areas of water towards and away from the shore. □ Roman vessels used to sail with the tide from Boulogne to Richborough.
3 N‑SING The tide of opinion, for example, is what the majority of people think at a particular time. □ [+ of ] The tide of opinion seems overwhelmingly in his favour.
4 N‑SING People sometimes refer to events or forces that are difficult or impossible to control as the tide of history, for example. □ [+ of ] They talked of reversing the tide of history.
5 N‑SING You can talk about a tide of something, especially something which is unpleasant, when there is a large and increasing amount of it. □ [+ of ] …an ever increasing tide of crime.
6 → see also high tide , low tide
▸ tide over PHRASAL VERB If you do something for someone to tide them over , you help them through a period when they are having difficulties, especially by lending them money. □ [V n P ] He wanted money to tide him over. □ [V P n] The banks were prepared to put up 50 million euros to tide over the company. SYNONYMS tide NOUN 2
current: The couple were swept away by the strong current.
flow: It works only in the veins, where the blood flow is slower.
tid|ings /ta I d I ŋz/ N‑PLURAL [usu adj N ] You can use tidings to refer to news that someone tells you. [FORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ He hated always to be the bearer of bad tidings. [Also + of ]
tidy /ta I di/ (tidier , tidiest , tidies , tidying , tidied )
1 ADJ Something that is tidy is neat and is arranged in an organized way. □ Having a tidy desk can seem impossible if you have a busy, demanding job. ● tidi|ly /ta I d I li/ ADV [ADV after v, ADV -ed] □ …books and magazines stacked tidily on shelves. ● tidi|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Employees are expected to maintain a high standard of tidiness in their dress and appearance.
2 ADJ Someone who is tidy likes everything to be neat and arranged in an organized way. □ She's obsessively tidy, always hoovering and polishing. ● tidi|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ I'm very impressed by your tidiness and order.