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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tickling

Tickle \Tic"kle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tickled; p. pr. & vb. n. Tickling.] [Perhaps freq. of tick to beat; pat; but cf. also AS. citelian to tickle, D. kittelen, G. kitzlen, OHG. chizzil[=o]n, chuzzil[=o]n, Icel. kitla. Cf. Kittle, v. t.]

  1. To touch lightly, so as to produce a peculiar thrilling sensation, which commonly causes laughter, and a kind of spasm which become dengerous if too long protracted.

    If you tickle us, do we not laugh?
    --Shak.

  2. To please; to gratify; to make joyous.

    Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw.
    --Pope.

    Such a nature Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow Which he treads on at noon.
    --Shak.

Wiktionary
tickling
  1. That tickles n. A sensation that tickles. v

  2. (present participle of tickle English)

WordNet
tickling
  1. adj. exciting by touching lightly so as to cause laughter or twitching movements [syn: tingling, titillating]

  2. n. the act of tickling [syn: tickle, titillation]

Wikipedia
Tickling

Tickling is the act of touching a part of a body in a way that causes involuntary twitching movements or laughter. The word evolved from the Middle English tikelen, perhaps frequentative of ticken, to touch lightly. The idiom tickled pink means to be pleased or delighted.

In 1897, psychologists G. Stanley Hall and Arthur Allin described a "tickle" as two different types of phenomena. One type is caused by very light movement across the skin. This type of tickle, called a knismesis, generally does not produce laughter and is sometimes accompanied by an itching sensation.

The question as to why a person could not tickle themselves was raised by the Greek philosopher Aristotle.

Francis Bacon and Charles Darwin believed that humorous laughter requires a "light" frame of mind. But they differed on ticklish laughter: Darwin thought that the same light state of mind was required, whereas Bacon disagreed. When tickled, noted Bacon, "men even in a grieved state of mind, yet cannot sometimes forbear laughing."

Usage examples of "tickling".

It causes tickling and frequent desire to clear the throat, change, weakness, or entire loss of voice, and difficulty of breathing, frequently giving rise to the most persistent and aggravating cough.

It causes tickling and frequent desire to clear the throat, also change, weakness and loss of voice, and often gives rise to a very persistent and aggravating cough.

Why, another fraction of an inch or so of growth and that hair would be tickling the bejabbers out of him.

Nerves were jumping gleefully in her stomach, tickling in her throat, buzzing in her head.

Sugar considers tickling Caddie with a description of her faulty grammar made flesh: a procession of earnest moustachioed policemen, pretty skirts frou-frouing under their sombre overcoats.

And though it falls, continues still Tickling the Cittern with his quill.

I said nothing, for fear she would remark my sensitiveness, and when she would go on saying that my skin was soft, the tickling sensation made me draw back, angry with myself that I did not dare to do the same to her, but delighted at her not guessing how I longed to do it.

Perspiration tickling his scalp, Kyte plucked out the magic sunglasses and then zipped the bag shut.

I stared at this sinister apparition crawling towards me, I felt a tickling on my cheek as though a fly had lighted there.

Nothing could soothe Ruer Stross like the sweet aroma of sawdust tickling his nose.

Cluff being brought to the Bluddhouse by massive, bulb-nosed Yagro Wike, who had caught the lad tickling for trout in the Flow.

And very soon loud, smacking kisses, amatory pinches and ticklings, and skittish squeals of pleasure did their work.

They sat and lay on the earth, grass tickling their chins and bellies, the occasional six-legged explorer marching gravely up a leg or flank.

She never flinched, even when 1,500 pounds of horseflesh slid to a stop with whiskers tickling her hand.

Tiny, stiff blond hairs sprouted in a tiny whorl from the tagus, tickling my finger.