Tikka

//tɪk.ə// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A marinade made from various aromatic spices usually with a yoghurt base; often used in Indian cuisine prior to grilling in a tandoor. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    Alternative form of tilak (“Hindu caste mark on forehead”). alt-of, alternative

Synonyms

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bindibindi

Example

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"Chicken tikka masala is now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences. Chicken tikka is an Indian dish. The masala sauce was added to satisfy the desire of British people to have their meat served in gravy."

Etymology

Borrowed from Hindustani टिक्का (ṭikkā, “piece”) / ٹِکّہ (ṭikka), ultimately from Classical Persian تکه (tikka).

Related phrases

tikka masala

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.