ticky box

noun

A blank square on a form in which a check mark or cross may be placed in order to indicate a selection.

Meanings

ticky box1

nounticky box (plural ticky boxes)

plural ticky boxes · alternative ticky-box

  1. informalA blank square on a form in which a check mark or cross may be placed in order to indicate a selection.

    At college I took a sort of ticky box approach to doing my work. I'd say to myself, right, I've done that, I've measured that, I've read that.

    2006, Kay Sambell, Liz McDowell, Alistair Sambell, “Supporting diverse students: developing learner autonomy via assessment”, in Cordelia Bryan, Karen Clegg, editors, Innovative Assessment in Higher Education, Routledge, →ISBN, page 164

    Synonyms: check box, tick box

ticky box2

nounticky box (plural ticky boxes)

plural ticky boxes · alternative ticky-box

  1. South AfricaslangA payphone; Alternative spelling of tickey box.

    They were trying to figure out how to call long distance from the ticky box.

    2008, Paula Nangle, The Leper Compound, Bellevue Literary Press, →ISBN, page 96

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA blank square on a form in which a check mark or cross may be placed in order to indicate a selection.

Also see

Origin

ticky box · noun

From ticky (“a tick mark”) + box.

Full word history & related roots →

ticky box · noun

From tickey (“South African threepenny coin”) + box.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ticky box. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ticky%20box

MLA

“ticky box.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ticky%20box. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ticky box,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ticky%20box.

Source: ticky box on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.