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Tickle vs Ickle - What's the difference?

tickle | ickle |

As nouns the difference between tickle and ickle

is that tickle is the act of tickling while ickle is an icicle.

As adjectives the difference between tickle and ickle

is that tickle is changeable, capricious; insecure while ickle is little.

As a verb tickle

is to touch repeatedly or stroke delicately in a manner which causes the recipient to feel a usually pleasant sensation of tingling or titillation.

tickle

English

(tickling)

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act of tickling.
  • A feeling resembling the result of tickling.
    • I have a persistent tickle in my throat.
  • (Newfoundland) A narrow strait.
  • * 2004 , (Richard Fortey), The Earth , Folio Society 2011, p. 169:
    • Cow Head itself is a prominent headland connected to the settlement by a natural causeway, or ‘tickle ’ as the Newfoundlanders prefer it.

    Verb

    (tickl)
  • To touch repeatedly or stroke delicately in a manner which causes the recipient to feel a usually pleasant sensation of tingling or titillation.
    • He tickled Nancy's tummy, and she started to giggle.
  • * Shakespeare
    • If you tickle us, do we not laugh?
  • (of a body part) To feel as if the body part in question is being tickled.
    • My nose tickles , and I'm going to sneeze!
  • To appeal to someone's taste, curiosity etc.
  • To cause delight or amusement in.
    • He was tickled to receive such a wonderful gift.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Such a nature / Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow / Which he treads on at noon.
  • To feel titillation.
  • * Spenser
    • He with secret joy therefore / Did tickle inwardly in every vein.

    Quotations

    * (English Citations of "tickle")

    Derived terms

    (terms derived from the verb "tickle") * tickle someone's fancy * tickle the dragon's tail * tickle the ivories * tickle pink * tickler * ticklish * tickly

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Changeable, capricious; insecure.
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.4:
    • So ticle be the termes of mortall state, / And full of subtile sophismes, which do play / With double senses, and with false debate [...].

    Anagrams

    *

    ickle

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) ikil, ykle, from (etyl) (Gheg okull).

    Alternative forms

    * (l)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (dialectal) An icicle.

    • Etymology 2

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (childish) little