ticktacktoe

1.8

A game for two people who take turns marking a 3 by 3 grid to make three in a row

noun
/ˈtɪkˌtækˈtoʊ/

: gato

We played several rounds of ticktacktoe while waiting for our food to arrive.

Examples

The rules of ticktacktoe are easy enough for young children to understand.
He quickly drew a grid for ticktacktoe on the back of his notebook.
Do you want to play ticktacktoe?
My sister loves ticktacktoe!
The rules of ticktacktoe are simple and make it great for family game nights.
We played several rounds of ticktacktoe during our lunch break to pass the time.
He quickly drew a grid for ticktacktoe on a piece of paper before starting the game.

Synonyms

tic-tac-toe

vsticktacktoe

3 2.2

A simple game for two people where each places Xs or Os to make three in a row

is the same game but written with a different spelling form

ticktacktoo

vsticktacktoe

3.7

A two-player game where players place Xs and Os to make three in a row

is the same game but spelled with different final letters

tit-tat-toe

vsticktacktoe

Archaic

4.5

A simple two-player game of X and O on a 3 by 3 grid to make three in a row

is the same but has a different written name pattern

noughts and crosses

vsticktacktoe

2.5

A two-player game of marking X or O on a 3 by 3 grid to make three in a row

is the same game but uses different mark words

tick-tack-toe

vsticktacktoe

1.6

A game for two players who take turns marking a three by three grid to make three in a row

is the same game but specifies a 3x3 grid size

Surface Forms

ticktacktoe singular

ticktacktoes plural

Morphology

ticktacktoe = tic + toe (opaque) = tic + tac + toe

The name is an idiomatic, rhythmic compound of sound-words; knowing the parts ('tic', 'tac', 'toe') does not let a learner deduce the rules of the game.

Etymology

Ticktacktoe comes from the little sound words tick and tack, which are like 'small sharp sounds' or quick taps, and the playful ending toe (the body 'toe'). So think of making quick marks or taps to get three in a row — that image explains the simple game name.