: something that ticks or produces a ticking sound: such as
a
: watch
b(1)
: a telegraphic receiving instrument that automatically prints off information (such as stock quotations or news) on a paper ribbon
(2)
: a graphic on which information is scrolled across the top or bottom of a television or computer screen
c
slang
: heart
tik·ker
variants
or ticker
plural -s
: a form of interrupter used in the early days of radio as a detector of continuous waves consisting of a rapidly rotating wheel and a fine wire brush with the current made and broken by momentary contacts between the brush and a continuous strip of conducting material in the rim of the wheel
Cite this Entry
“Ticker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ticker. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.
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