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tikka

1 British  
/ ˈtiːkə /

noun

  1. another word for tilak

  2. the act of marking a tikka on the forehead

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
tikka 2 British  
/ ˈtiːkə /

adjective

  1. (immediately postpositive) Indian cookery (of meat, esp chicken or lamb) marinated in spices then dry-roasted, usu. in a clay oven

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tikka

from Hindi tika , Punjabi tikka spot, mark

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Take the aforementioned leftover chicken tikka masala, for example.

From Salon • Jul. 21, 2025

Will jollof or efo riro follow in the footsteps of tikka masala or chow mein to become UK favourites?

From BBC • Oct. 1, 2024

He had the very clever idea to season the tomato water so it would suggest the flavors of the sauce for chicken tikka masala.

From Salon • Aug. 17, 2024

Not just chaat and chai, Chatpata By Kanishka merges East-meets-West food with dishes like its paneer tikka burger.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 6, 2024

“Mark and I have applied to adopt a baby from China,” Mrs. McCullough told Mrs. Richardson, as she scooped chicken tikka masala onto a mound of rice.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.