To touch someone lightly in a way that causes a tingling sensation and typically laughter. Can also mean to amuse or please someone.
From Middle English 'tikelen,' possibly imitative of the light touching motion. The word has remained remarkably stable in form and meaning since the 13th century, suggesting the universality of this sensation across cultures.
Humans are among the few animals that can't tickle themselves - this is because our cerebellum predicts and cancels out self-generated sensations. The word has spawned the phrase 'tickled pink,' meaning extremely pleased, showing how physical sensations become metaphors for emotions.
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