tock

English

Pronunciation

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /tɑk/
• Rhymes: -ɒk
• Homophone: talk (cot–caught merger)

Noun

tock (plural tocks)

1. (used in conjunction with tick) A clicking sound similar to one made by the hands of a clock.
   • 2022, Ian Crouch, A Pyrrhic Victory Volume III — Fate‎^[1], Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Agency, page 367:

     When Cyrus left her there by herself she stood quite still and listened to the sounds, a variety of ticks and tocks, faint beats and flutters.

Derived terms

• tick-tock

Verb

tock (third-person singular simple present tocks, present participle tocking, simple past and past participle tocked)

1. To produce such a sound.
   • 2002, Roger Ladd Memmott, Sweet Sally Ann:

     The clock chimed the hour and then audibly tocked as the pendulum swung behind the glass pane of the door.

   • 1967, William Gray Purcell, St. Croix Trail Country: Recollections of Wisconsin:

     The old clock tocked with a wooden "cluck," and like as not a squirrel would be hopping across the oilcloth table or scrambling along the loose bark of the log wall in search of a stray gingersnap.